Banana Fosters Cake
Makes 1 (9-Inch) Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup mashed banana (about 1 large banana)
- 4 large eggs
- 3½ cups cake flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup dark rum
- Rum Brown Sugar Frosting (recipe follows)
- Bananas Foster Filling (recipe follows)
- Brûléed Bananas (recipe follows)
Rum Brown Sugar Frosting
- 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup dark rum
Bananas Foster Filling
- 1½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup banana liqueur
- ½ cup dark rum
- 4 slightly underripe large bananas, sliced crosswise ½ inch thick
Brûléed Bananas
- 1 large banana, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugars at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in mashed banana. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk and rum, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Divide batter among prepared pans, smoothing tops if necessary.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Place 1 cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about ⅓ cup Rum Brown Sugar Frosting on top. Using a slotted spoon, place half of bananas from Bananas Foster Filling on frosting, and drizzle 3 tablespoons sauce from Bananas Foster Filling on top. Place second cake layer on top. Spread about ⅓ cup frosting on top. Using a slotted spoon, place remaining bananas from filling on frosting, and drizzle 3 tablespoons sauce from filling on top. Top with remaining cake layer. Reserve 1 cup frosting; spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake.
- Transfer reserved 1 cup frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large open star piping tip (Wilton 1M). Holding tip close to top of cake, pipe 8 swirls. Top cake with Brûléed Bananas, and drizzle with desired amount of remaining sauce from filling.
Rum Brown Sugar Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and rum, beating until combined. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
Bananas Foster Filling
- In a large saucepan, stir together brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in liqueur and rum. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Reserve ½ cup sauce. Stir banana slices into remaining sauce. Let cool completely.
Brûléed Bananas
- Coat banana slices with sugar, and place on a baking sheet. Using a handheld kitchen torch (see Kitchen Tip), carefully brown sugar until caramelized, about 15 seconds per slice. Use immediately
Notes
If you don’t have a kitchen torch, broil banana slices under broiler until sugar is caramelized, 1 to 2 minutes.
