Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

This is an excellent combination.

The cake recipe comes from Magnolia Bakery, and the icing is the brown butter icing that I adapted from Preppy Kitchen (https://preppykitchen.com/mexican-hot-chocolate-cake/). More detailed instructions and photos for the chocolate ganache and the chocolate buttercream frosting can be found here: https://gardnermmoore.wixsite.com/procrastibaking/post/ultimate-chocolate-cake. The icing is INVOLVED, but it is worth it. There is also a tasty addition of chocolate ganache, always welcome. This makes a 3 layer 8inch cake.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

3 cups/400g plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup/2 sticks/225g unsalted butter, softened

2 cups/400g sugar, granulated or caster

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas (4-5 large bananas)

6 Tbsp/90g plain lowfat yogurt

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup/200g semi sweet or plain chocolate chips, or chocolate chopped finely

1/2 cup/110g heavy cream, UK double cream

Add up to 1.5 tsps of dark rum to this to make a chocolate rum cake

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1.25lbs/575g unsalted browned butter at room temperature

Made from 750g butter

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup/75g cocoa powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

Add up to 3 Tbsp dark rum instead of the vanilla extract to make this a chocolate rum cake

c. 4 1/2 cups/560g icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)

1/3 cup/100g chocolate ganache

This was supposed to be fudge, but USA fudge, the likes of which cannot be found in the UK

1/2 cup/90g semi-sweet or plain chocolate melted and cooled

Instructions:

For the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325˚F/165˚C.

Grease and flour 3 x 8inch cake pans.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder, set aside.

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, c. 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.

Add the bananas and beat until combined.

Add half the dry ingredients, mixing until evenly incorporated.

Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Add the second half of the dry ingredients, and mix until evenly incorporated.

Divide evenly between the cake pans, using a palette knife to smooth over the batter.

Bake until the cakes pass the clean knife test, c. 30-35 minutes.

Let cool in the pans for c. 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

Set up a double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl above a pan of simmering water on low to medium heat.

In the double boiler, scald the cream until small bubbles are forming around the edges.

It will start to smell like custard. You will also smell if it is burned.

Add the chocolate chunks to the scalded cream, and add the vanilla extract.

Ideally, do this by pouring the cream over the chocolate, but if not it will not be the end of the world, or the end of the ganache.

Let sit for a few minutes, and then whisk until smooth.

Cover the ganache and leave to set at room temperature.

For the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the browned butter, salt, cocoa powder and vanilla extract and beat until smooth.

Slowly sift in the icing sugar and mix.

Beat in the ganache/fudge and the melted chocolate.

Beat until fluffy and well combined.

For the Assembly:

Smear a little bit of icing on the middle of the cake board you plan to use.

Top with a cake layer, fill in the gaps around the bottom and spread a layer of icing on top.

Top with the second layer, repeat, repeat.

You can also add a swirl of leftover ganache between the layers.

Spread a thin layer of icing over the whole cake, and refrigerate for c.40 minutes.

This will trap in crumbs and make the cake easier to decorate.

Cover with a thicker layer of icing, and decorate however you want.

I prefer ganache drips these days...