Bananas Foster Cake
This Bananas Foster Cake transforms a classic dessert into a delicious layer cake! Banana cake layers, bananas foster filling, and vanilla bean buttercream.
- Prep time
- 2 hr
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
- 2 cup cake flour (sifted)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup mashed overripe bananas (approx. 2 medium)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 large bananas (slightly underripe, sliced into 1/2" pieces)
- 1/4 cup banana liqueur
- 1/4 cup dark rum
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cup unsalted butter (cubed, slightly chilled)
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 6" cake pans, line with parchment.
- 2
In a medium bowl, whisk cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside .
- 3
In a measuring cup, combine mashed bananas and buttermilk.
- 4
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).
- 5
Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix until well combined.
- 6
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.
- 7
Spread batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 35-40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- 8
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
- 9
Place butter, sugar, and cinnamon into a large pan. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
- 10
Stir in banana liqueur and place banana slices into the pan. Cook until slightly softened and browned.
- 11
Add rum and stir to combine. Cook until rum is hot.
- 12
{optional} Flambé the mixture. Use extreme caution if doing so. Cook until flames subside.
- 13
Remove from heat. Gently remove banana slices from the pan and set aside. Cool sauce and bananas completely before using on cake.
- 14
Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
- 15
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).
- 16
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)).
- 17
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
- 18
Add vanilla bean paste and and whip until smooth.
- 19
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.
- 20
Frost and smooth the outside of the cake, generously frosting the sides specifically. Smooth with an icing smoother.
- 21
Use a pleated cake comb on the sides of the cake. Repeat, scraping off more frosting each time, until smooth.
- 22
Pipe rosette dollops using a 1M tip with remainder of frosting and place fresh banana slices on top.