Triple layer cakes are usually joyous creations reserved for birthdays and anniversaries. They hardly ever appear on a random January weeknight... in a normal person's home that is. For me, baking has always been cathartic. So, yesterday, when the mercury never pushed above the 5 degree mark, and winter blues weighed heavy, I made a cake from my new favorite cake book - simply, aptly titled "Cake, I Love You." I do love cake. I also love the author of this cookbook, Jill O'Connor. I've made five cakes in her book and they are all fantastic. This one banana cake was no exception: delicate, moist, with a subtle banana flavor that was a perfect foil to the sticky-sweet chocolate pudding encasing each layer. A slice of this is guaranteed to ease almost any winter gloom.
Dark Chocolate Pudding Banana Cake
from "Cake, I Love You" by Jill O'Connor
I used Nestle chocolate chips but next time I would use the best quality chocolate I had for the pudding frosting. Also for the frosting, it's best to make it a day ahead so that it is at its most thick and spreadable. I only waited two hours and you can see in the picture that the filling is too thin between the layers. Another note on the pudding frosting: set aside a half hour when you are guaranteed to have no interruptions to make this. If you step away from the stove for even a second when making pudding you can easily ruin it. (I say this from experience!)
Another reason I love this book is that all measurements are given by both weight and volume. In case you didn't know, it is always better to use weighted measurements for baking as it is much more accurate, and it is so much easier because you can measure right into the mixing bowl set atop the scale!
For dark chocolate pudding frosting:
6 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp instant espresso powder
20 g (1/4 cup) Dutch-process cocoa powder
300 g (1 1/2 cups) sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
230 g (8 oz) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or good quality chocolate chips
For cake batter:
390 g (3 1/4 cups) cake flour or King Arthur's Gluten Free flour blend
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
4 eggs, at room temperature
550 g (2 3/4 cup) sugar
1 cup (240 ml) canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
460 g (2 cups) mashed over ripe bananas (trick: overripe bananas that have been frozen and then defrosted give the most banana punch!)
Make the chocolate pudding frosting first. In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cream and espresso powder. Set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Place over medium heat and cook, STIRRING CONSTANTLY, just until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk the hot cocoa mixture into the egg yolks and cream that you previously set aside. Then transfer it all back into the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the pudding comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes only, just until the mixture is very thick. Do not simmer any longer than 2 minutes because the cornstarch will actually lose its thickening powers and the pudding will start to thin.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the pudding through a large fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl that can fit in the refrigerator. Stir in the chopped chocolate and vanilla until the chocolate is completely melted and the pudding is smooth. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until very firm and cold, at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
To make the cake, first preheat the oven to 350 and butter three 8 or 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until thick and fluffy (3-4 minutes with a stand mixer, 5 minutes with a handheld.) Gradually beat in the oil on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in the bananas and vanilla.
On low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients in three additions and the buttermilk in two additions, beginning and ending with dry and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Beat just until combined for each addition. Then divide the batter equally among the three pans (using a scale ensures that you get cake layers that are equal thickness.) Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Do NOT overbake! Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool for 10 minutes. Then invert cakes onto the racks and let cool completely before assembling with the pudding frosting (use 1/4 of the pudding frosting for each of the two filling layers, and 1/2 to frost the sides and top.) Serve and enjoy!
