Banana, caramel and chocolate cake

This cake is one of my best creations. It combines 3 different creams and a dried-fruit crumble that bring a crunchy sensation. It is not very complicated to make but it is quite long due to the 3 different creams and the several cooling periods. Nevertheless, it is so worth your time. 

Ingredients for a 10x3 cake

Decoration :

Grated coconut

Crispy chocolate balls

Slices of banana

Dried-fruit crumble

100 g butter

100 g all-purpose flour

50 g sugar

50 g brown sugar

100 g dried fruit (almond, hazelnut, coconut… you can vary)

40 g butter

Creamy caramel

435 g boiling heavy whipping cream

60 g egg yolk

90 g egg white

30 g cornstarch

210 g sugar

100 g butter

3 gelatin sheets Dr. Oetker (6 g)

8 g orange liquor (optional)

Banana cream

40 g mineral water

55 g sugar

150 g egg yolk

190 g blended bananas

90 g sugar

60 g boiling heavy whipping cream

300 g cold heavy whipping cream

4 gelatin sheets Dr. Oetker (8 g)

Chocolate cream

125 g whole milk

30 g sugar

45 g egg yolk

170 g chocolate 48% cacao

80 g chocolate 67% cacao

180 g cold heavy whipping cream

Method

Dried-fruit crumble

- Preheat the oven to 340°F.

- With the flat mixing paddle of a stand mixer (Cuisineart or KitchenAid) on low speed, beat 100 g of butter with the flour.

- Add the sugar and dried fruits.

- Spread and bake for approximately 15 min.

- Cool the crumble and put it back into the electric mixer on low speed.

- Add 40 g of melted butter.

- Spread and press the crumble in a 10x3 ring on a cake cardboard and put it in the fridge.

Creamy caramel

- Hydrate the gelatin in cold water.

- On medium heat, caramelize the sugar.

- Once mildly brown, add the boiling whipping cream.

- Beat together the eggs and the cornstarch without whitening or frothing.

- Pour in 1/3 of caramel, blend, add the rest and blend.

- Put the caramel back in the pan over high heat and beat until it thickens.

- Remove the pan and add the butter.

- Blend with a hand blender.

- Once cooled, melt the gelatin in the microwave without boiling and add in the caramel with the orange liquor.

- Pour the caramel in a 9-inch wide ring put over the crumble and put it back in the fridge.

Banana cream

- Hydrate the gelatin in cold water.

- Whip the egg yolks with a stand mixer on high speed.

- Boil together the water and 68 g of sugar and add in the beaten yolks.

- Beat until it is cool.

- On medium heat, caramelize 90 g of sugar.

- Blend the bananas.

- Add 75 g of boiling whipping cream into the caramel, then the blended bananas.

- Add in the gelatin and let it cool.

- Add to the yolks.

- Whip the cream and fold it gently in the banana cream.

- Pour the banana cream above the caramel cream in the 9-inch ring.

- Freeze it for about an hour.

Chocolate cream 

- Put both chocolates in a mixing bowl.

- Boil the milk.

- Beat together the egg yolks and the sugar without whitening or frothing.

- Pour in 1/3 of boiling milk, beat, add the rest and beat.

- Put the custard back in the pan and cook over low heat to 180°F stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

- Immediately pour over the chocolate, blend with a hand mixer and cool to 86°F.

- Whip the cream and fold it gently in the chocolate cream.

- Remove the 9-inch ring and pour the chocolate cream into the 10-inch.

- Freeze it at least for two hours.

Decorate with grated coconut, crispy chocolate balls and slices of banana at the very last time.