Chocolate Cake with Roasted Banana Sauce
The combination of this dense chocolate cake with the creamy banana sauce is old-fashioned yet sophisticated, a new twist on a banana split. The cake is best if baked just prior to serving; however, a cooled cake can be reheated slightly in a 100 F oven just before serving.
Ingredients
- Cake
- Unsalted Butter - 3/4 cup, room temperature
- Sugar - 1 1/3 cups
- Egg Yolk - 3
- Milk - 1 1/2 cups
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/3 cup
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
- Semisweet Chocolate - 6 oz, chopped
- Cake flour - 1 1/2 cups
- Baking Soda - 1 teaspoon
- Salt - 1/2 teaspoon
- Eggs - 2
- Banana Sauce
- Bananas - 4, ripe
- Dark Rum - 2 tablespoons
- Sugar - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1 cup
- Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
- Garnish (optional)
- Confectioner’s sugar - For dusting
- Bananas - 4, sliced
- Pecan halves - 1 1/2 cup, toasted
- Mint - 8 sprigs
Instructions
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a deep-sided 10-inch-round cake pan (a springform pan can be used) by buttering the sides and bottom, lining the bottom with parchment paper, and buttering the parchment. Lightly dust with flour.
Place the butter and 1 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until the butter loses its yellow color, about 15 minutes at low speed.
Make a custard by combining the egg yolks, 1/3 cup of the milk, the cream, and vanilla in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk together, then stir with a wooden spoon until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow it to boil or the egg yolks will curdle. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Allow to cool.
Add the whole eggs, one at a time, to the butter mixture, beating between each addition. With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate custard. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the mixture alternately with the remaining cup of milk. When the batter is smooth, pour into the prepared pan. Place the pan in a larger baking pan and add hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until the center springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, turn the cake out of the pan, and place the cake on the wire rack.
To make the sauce: Place the bananas in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes (this can be done while the cake is being prepared). Peel the bananas and place the pulp in a mixing bowl. Mash with a spoon, then add the rum, sugar, cream, and vanilla.
To serve: Dust the cake heavily with confectioner’s sugar. Cut the warm cake into wedges and place one on each warm serving plate. Spoon the sauce next to the warm cake, and outline the outer side of the sauce with overlapping banana slices. Make a line of pecan slices in the sauce, resting them against the cake. Garnish each dish with a mint sprig.
