Banana Cake with Peanut Butter

This is a showstopping dessert featuring multiple textures: a crunchy base, a soft banana sponge, a rich liquid praline, and an airy caramel-peanut mousse, all finished with a glossy mirror glaze.

Serves: 8

Part 1: Crunchy Peanut Base

This layer adds a necessary texture contrast to the soft mousse and cake.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Caramelize Peanuts: Carefully melt the sugar in a pot until it turns into a golden caramel. Immediately remove from heat and stir in the peanuts. Pour onto parchment paper and let cool completely. Once hard, chop finely.
2. Melt Chocolate Base: Melt the caramel chocolate and peanut butter together in a bowl over a bain-marie (simmering water). Remove from heat.
3. Combine: Stir the feuilletine and the chopped caramelized peanuts into the melted mixture.
4. Shape: Roll the mixture out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper. Place in the freezer for about 5 minutes to firm up.
5. Cut: Remove from freezer and cut out a circle using a hot 14 cm cake ring.
6. Store: Return the cut disc to the freezer until ready for assembly.

Part 2: Banana Cake

A moist, flavorful core for the dessert.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Beat Eggs: In a bowl, beat the sugar and egg until light and fluffy.
2. Add Butter: Melt the butter and stir it into the egg mixture.
3. Dry Ingredients: Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Sift them into the batter and fold to combine.
4. Add Banana: Mash the ripe banana well with a fork and fold it into the batter. Finally, fold in the peanut butter.
5. Bake: Spread the batter into a 14 cm cake ring lined with parchment paper. Bake at 175°C for about 20 minutes, or until golden and fully baked.
6. Cool: Let the cake cool completely.

Part 3: Peanut Praline

A rich, liquid gold layer that sits on top of the banana cake.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Make Caramel: Carefully melt the sugar in a pot until it becomes a golden caramel. Remove from heat immediately and stir in the peanuts.
2. Cool: Pour onto parchment paper and let cool completely.
3. Blend: Place the hard caramelized nuts into a powerful food processor. Blend until it turns into a liquid butter (praline paste).
4. Assemble Layer: Spread the praline over the top of the cooled Banana Cake. (Reserve a small amount for final decoration).
5. Freeze: Place the cake (with the praline topping) in the freezer for at least 3 hours until rock hard.

Part 4: Peanut Butter Mousse & Assembly

The main body of the cake that encases the other layers.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Soak Gelatine: Soak the gelatine sheets in cold water for 10 minutes.
2. Melt Base: Melt the caramel chocolate and peanut butter together in a bowl over a bain-marie. Remove from heat.
3. Heat Milk: Bring the milk and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat.
4. Combine: Squeeze excess water from the gelatine and dissolve it in the hot milk. Pour the milk over the chocolate/peanut butter mixture while stirring in the center to create an emulsion.
5. Blend: Use a hand blender to smooth the mixture.
6. Whip Cream: Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks.
7. Fold: Fold a small amount of cream into the chocolate base to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining cream.
8. Assembly:
   • Pour the mousse into a 16 cm silicone mold.
   • Take the frozen banana cake and press it gently into the mousse, praline side facing down (into the mousse).
   • Place the frozen Crunchy Peanut Base (from Part 1) on top of the banana cake (flush with the surface of the mousse).
   • Freeze the entire cake overnight.

Part 5: The Glaze

A shiny finish to coat the frozen mousse.

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Prep: Soak gelatine in cold water. Finely chop the chocolate and place it with the peanut butter in a tall plastic pitcher/jug.
2. Boil Syrup: In a saucepan, bring the cream, water, sugar, and glucose syrup to a boil. Remove from heat.
3. Combine: Squeeze water from gelatine and stir into the hot liquid. Pour this over the chocolate/peanut butter in the pitcher.
4. Blend: Let it sit for a moment, then blend with a hand blender (keep the blade submerged to avoid bubbles).
5. Cool: Cover the surface with cling film and let cool to 35°C.
6. Glaze: Place the frozen cake on a smaller ring or cup over a tray. Pour the glaze over the cake. Let it drip and set. Trim any drips from the bottom with a knife.
7. Thaw: Move the cake to a serving platter and let it thaw in the fridge.

Part 6: Chocolate Ribbon & Decor

Ingredients:

Method:

1. Temper: Melt and temper the chocolate.
2. Ribbon: Spread a thin layer on an acetate strip (51 cm x 3 cm). Lift it, let it set slightly (until matte but flexible), then wrap around a 16 cm cake ring. Refrigerate until hard.
3. Shapes: Pour remaining chocolate into a mold (e.g., ‘Elegant Pistoles’) or spread flat and cut shapes. Let set.

Part 7: Final Decoration

Ingredients:

• Edible gold dust
• Vodka
• Reserved Peanut Praline
• Edible gold leaf

Method:

1. Gold Stamp: Mix gold dust and a few drops of vodka. Dip the rim of a 12 cm cake ring into the gold paint and press it gently onto the top of the glazed cake to make a gold ring imprint.
2. Ribbon: Place the chocolate ribbon around the base of the cake.
3. Garnish: Decorate with the chocolate shapes, small dots of the reserved peanut praline, and gold leaf.

Tip

The banana cake is delicious enough to be eaten on its own! If you make it as a standalone cake, try adding a generous amount of coarsely chopped chocolate into the batter—and sprinkle some on top before baking.