Banana Thousand Layers Cake Recipes

THE BEST BANANA CAKE I'VE EVER HAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan.
• Mash the bananas. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.
• Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place it in the refrigerator to speed things up.
• In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

FRESH BANANA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Butter and flour three 8" round cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Into a bowl sift together first four ingredients.
• In a small bowl, whisk together mashed banana, yoghurt or buttermilk, and vanilla.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir dry ingredients and banana mixtures alternately into the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and stirring after each addition until just combined. (Do not overmix)
• Divide batter evenly among pans, smoothing tops, and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans halfway through baking, about 18-20 minutes total, or until layers are springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean.
• Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks to cool completely.
• (Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.) Frosting: Into a large bowl, sift confectioners' sugar.
• In another large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
• Beat in vanilla and a pinch salt.
• Beat in confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, and beat frosting until smooth.
• Cut 2-3 firm-ripe bananas diagonally into thin slices.
• Put a cake layer on a serving plate and spread with a thin coating of frosting.
• Arrange one layer of banana slices on frosting, overlapping them slightly, and top with second cake layer.
• Spread cake layer with another thin coating of frosting and arrange 1 more layer of banana slices in same manner, cutting and using slices from third banana if necessary.
• Top bananas with remaining cake layer and spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.
• (Cake may be made 8 hours ahead and kept in a cake keeper at cool room temperature.).

BANANA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Put a piece of parchment or a Silpat on the counter. Invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment or Silpat from the bottom of the cake. Use the cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake. These are your top 2 cake layers. The remaining cake "scrap" will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.
• Clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment or a Silpat. Use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring.
• Put the cake scraps inside the ring and use the back of your hand to tamp the cake scraps together into a flat even layer.
• Dunk a pastry brush in the milk and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of half of the milk.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread half of the ganache in an even layer over the cake.
• Sprinkle one-third of the hazelnut crunch evenly over the ganache. Use the back of your hand to anchor it in place.
• Use the back of a spoon to spread half of the banana cream as evenly as possible over the crunch.
• With your index finger, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top 1/4 inch of the first strip of acetate, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall-high enough to support the height of the finished cake. Set a cake round on top of the banana cream and repeat the process for layer 1 (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it here in the middle and save the prettier one for the top).
• Nestle the remaining cake round into the banana cream. Cover the top of the cake with all the hazelnut frosting. Give it volume and swirls, or do as we do and opt for a perfectly flat top. Garnish the frosting with the remaining clusters of hazelnut crunch.
• Transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. The cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• At least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer and, using your fingers and thumbs, pop the cake out of the cake ring. Gently peel off the acetate and transfer the cake to a platter or cake stand. Let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (wrapped well in plastic, the cake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days).
• Slice the cake into wedges and serve.
• Save a perfectly ripe banana or leftover hazelnut brittle to garnish this cake in addition to the hazelnut crunch clusters.