Last year my daughter requested for a princess birthday cake. This year she said she wanted a chocolate banana cake. I’m not a chocolate fan so the thought of combining chocolate and banana in a cake brought back memories of having eaten such a cake from Secret Recipe a couple of years ago. It was a favorite item on its menu. So here’s my version of the cake and I think I came quite close to the real thing. Or maybe the years have dulled my memory but I’m certain the final result was good… if not better than the real thing. And the best judge? I’d say the empty cake tray, chocolate smeared faces and a delightful Thank-you-mummy hug and sloppy kiss! So here’s to a superb chocolate banana birthday cake for my little darling. Happy Birthday sweetie!

Ingredients for the cake:

Basic Chocolate Chiffon Cake (recipe from joyofbaking)

A) Dry Ingredients
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened Hershey’s cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

B) Wet Ingredients
3 egg yolks (room temperature)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

C) Egg white mixture
4 large eggs, white only (room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9in cake pan with at least a 5cm height.
2. Combine all ingredients in A and sift into a large bowl.



3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the yolks in B for a few minutes.



4. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk the rest of Ingredients B together until smooth.



5. Add this to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined.



6. With the mixer on, slowly add A into B until well combined.



7. Whisk egg whites in C till frothy. Then add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peak stage. Then add the sugar gradually while continuing to whisk until stiff peaks form.



8. With a rubber spatula, gently fold C into the combined AB mixture until well incorporated. Do not over-mix it.



9. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 35 - 45min in the middle rack or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.



10. Let the cake cool, loosen the sides by running a knife around the edge, invert on a wire rack/cake tray. When completely cooled, leave it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
11. Once cooled in the fridge, cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal parts.

Chocolate whipped cream:

Ingredients:
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp icing/powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Leave mixing bowl and mixers in the refrigerator for an hour.
2. Melt the chocolate chip using the double boiler method. Then leave it to cool while whipping the cream.
3. Pour the whipping cream into the chilled bowl. Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks.
4. The chocolate should be slightly warm and liquid still but not hot.
5. Add 1/3 of the whipping cream into the chocolate and fold until well combined.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients into the chocolate-cream mixture and mix well.
7. Combine the mixture into the rest of the whipped cream and fold until well mixed.

Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients:
4 oz of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate (basically good chocolate - 60% cocao or more)
5 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (the same as the ones in the whipped cream will do)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional - gives an added gloss)

Method:

1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and combine both chocolates into a bowl.
2. In a saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Remove the pan at the sight of the first bubble.
3. Pour the hot cream into the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted and well combined.
4. Add the butter and mix well until melted.
5. Leave it to cool a few minutes before pouring onto the cake. It should be lukewarm and liquid still.

Assembling the cake

10 large bananas - cut in half lengthwise (they’ll look like half moon shaped slices)

1. Place the bottom layer of the cake on a cake pan about 1- 2 inch larger than the  size of the cake.
2. Add a layer of the whipped cream, then layer the banana slices with the cut side lying flat on the cream.
3. Add another layer of the whipped cream over the bananas.
4. Place the second layer of cake over this.
5. Repeat the cream-banana-cream step.
6. Then place the top cake slice over.
7. Use the rest of the whipped cream to coat the top and sides of the cake. Smoothen the top and sides with a flat spatula.
8. Leave it in the freezer for at least an hour to set the whipped cream.
9. Place a small pot stand in a large bowl with a flat base.
10. Remove the cake from the freezer and place the cake with its pan on the pot stand.
11. Beginning from the center of the cake, pour the chocolate ganache and let it flow over the sides of the cake.
12. Use a cake spatula and smooth the ganache on the top and sides of the cake for a finished look.
13. Leave it to set either in the fridge for about 20 minutes or on the table for about an hour so that it’s easier to cut.
14. Decorate with fruits or not and have a slice.
15. Bon a petit!

Tips:

-Refrigerating the cake before cutting it makes it easier to slice and reduces the problem with crumbs

- Make the whipped cream while the cake is in the fridge. Then slice the bananas.  So that once you remove the cake from the fridge, you can cut the cake horizontally and use the filling immediately.

- Then while the cake is cooling in the fridge, start to prepare the ganache. By the time the ganache is ready to be used, the cake is ready to come out of the fridge for its final coating.

- Setting the cake on a cake pan that’s about 2 inch wides than the cake makes it easy for the ganache to spill over the sides and into the bowl. And there’s no need to transfer the cake to another serving tray.

- Use the leftover ganache collected in the bowl to make truffles or dip your fresh fruits to have your homemade fondue

- I chose the chiffon cake because it does not harden when refrigerated and is still moist even the next day, so a great choice if you’re preparing ahead of time.