Banana Boston Cream Cake

If you fancy a soft fragrant banana sponge with a sweet custard center and a rich chocolate ganache frosting, then this is the cake for you. If you don’t like bananas, custard or chocolate, may I suggest you give it a major skip!

You can always try some of the other goodies I’ve made over the last little while – Homemade Snicker Bars, Bunny Cupcakes, or a decadent Hot Chocolate Cake.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake batter: 

100 grams unsalted butter – must be at room temperature 

¾ cups castor sugar

2 eggs – must be at room temperature 

2 medium bananas – mashed

125 grams full cream plain yoghurt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

2 and ¼ cups all-purpose cake flour

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Custard:

1 cup fresh milk

3 egg yolks

1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla essence

⅓ cup castor sugar

1 and ½ tablespoons all-purpose cake flour

2 tablespoons cornflour

Chocolate ganache: 

200mls  fresh cream

200 grams mixed dark or milk chocolate – chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line two cake tins with baking paper and grease the sides with Spray ‘n Cook.
2. Using a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, whisk the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Mix the mashed bananas, yoghurt, and vanilla essence in a jug.
5. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
6. With the mixer on a low speed, pour the banana and yoghurt mixture into the creamed butter. Mix well.
7. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture and beat until the batter is smooth. Scrap the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake tins, I do this by measuring the amount that goes into each cake tin on the scale. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from the tins and allow to cool completely.
9. Custard: Bring the milk and vanilla essence to the boil in a medium-sized pot.
10. Mix the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and cornflour in a bowl to form a paste. To loosen it, add a small amount of warm milk from above.
11. Remove the pot from the heat and turn the temperature down to medium-low. Then, add the paste slowly to the remaining milk and start whisking it before returning it to heat. Make sure you’re constantly whisking it until it forms a thick custard. Allow this mixture to boil very gently for 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring as you cook it, or the eggs may begin to scramble.
12. Once cooked pour the custard into a shallow dish and cover it with cling wrap, this will prevent a skin from forming. Set aside in the fridge to cool completely.
13. Ganache icing: In a small pot, heat the cream until it is almost boiling.
14. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir until all the chocolate has melted and the ganache is smooth and shiny.
15. Pop it in the fridge to cool so it thickens into a nice spreadable icing.
16. Once the sponge has cooled, get the custard out and whisk it with a handheld mixer or whisk until smooth.
17. Place the first sponge on a plate and slice off a very thin layer of the cake. Top the layer with cold custard and smooth it out with a pallet knife, then place the second sponge on top of the first.
18. Ice the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate ganache.