This Bananas Foster Cake transforms a classic dessert into a delicious layer cake! Banana cake layers, bananas foster filling, and vanilla bean buttercream.
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake pans, line with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside .
In a measuring cup, combine mashed bananas and buttermilk.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until well combined.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of buttermilk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not overmix.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Bananas Foster Filling:
Place butter, sugar, and cinnamon into a large pan. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
Stir in banana liqueur and place banana slices into the pan. Cook until slightly softened and browned.
Add rum and stir to combine. Cook until rum is hot.
{optional} Flambé the mixture. Use extreme caution if doing so. Cook until flames subside.
Remove from heat. Gently remove banana slices from the pan and set aside. Cool sauce and bananas completely before using on cake.
Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (about 3mins).
Place bowl on your stand mixer and whip on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
Add vanilla bean paste and and whip until smooth.
Assembly:
Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Drizzle with 2-3 Tbsp Foster sauce. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of the layer and pipe a border around the outside to hold the bananas in. Fill the middle with half of the cooled bananas. Drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp more Fosters sauce. Repeat with next layer and place final layer on top. Apply a thin coat of frosting all over the cake. Chill for 20mins.
Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother.
Use a pleated cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth.
Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting and place fresh banana slices on top.
Notes
*Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.If you choose to flambé the sauce, please use extreme caution.Bananas Foster recipe from Brennan's