Banana Gateau

This is from the Joy of Cooking and it's pretty spectacular.  You can make it super glam like I did or in a single layer in a 9X13 pan with the caramel on top.

Banana Cake

Whisk together:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Blitz in a food processor:

2 large ripe bananas
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream in a mixer:

1 stick butter
1 cup + 2 tbsp sugar

Add:

2 eggs(one at a time)

Add the wet and dry mixture, alternating some of each until combined.  Spoon into a greased and papered 10X15 jellyroll pan and bake at  350 for 25 minutes.  Let cool.

Caramel Frosting

Combine in a saucepan:

4 cups brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 cup cream
2 tbsp corn syrup

Cook to the soft ball stage.  Remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl.  Float

6 tbsp butter

Let cool to 140 and start beating.  Add:

2 tsp vanilla

Beat until spreadable.  Don't let this get too cold or it will be hard to work with.


Assembly

Cut the cake in half and then split each of the layers to make four long thin layers.  Assemble the cake with caramel between three of the layers and nothing on top.  Refrigerate to firm it up.  Then trim the edges and dust with powdered sugar.  Bon appetit!

Creamy Chocolate Gateau

This is a Bailey's flavored chocolate cake filled with chocolate pastry cream and frosted with an interesting evaporated milk based frosting that is rich, sweet and creamy.  The cake is a variation on Texas Chocolate Cake that I've been making forever.  The pastry cream and satin frosting came from the Joy of Cooking.  Make the cake and the pastry cream one day and then assemble the cake, make the satin frosting and frost the cake the next. It's so much easier to deal with cold cake and pastry cream.

Chocolate cake

Whisk together in a bowl:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

Combine in a saucepan and heat until simmering:

1 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup Bailey's

Let cool.  Combine in a mixing bowl:

2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Slowly add the chocolate mixture and then the dry mixture.  Pour into a 10X15 pan.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Let cool.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Combine in a pan:

2 1/2 cups cream
4 oz unsweetened choc

Melt the chocolate and stir until combined.  Combine in a mixer:

2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp flour
4 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Beat until light and smooth.  Slowly add the chocolate cream mixture into the eggs mixture and then put back on the heat.  Stir constantly until it begins to thicken.  Then pour it in a bowl. cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming and cool.  Refrigerate when cooled.

Chocolate Satin Frosting

Melt in a small pot:

6 oz unsweeted chocolate
1 cup evaporated milk

Once the chocolate is melted, put a lid on the pot and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add to the mixing bowl of a food processor:

1 1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blitz to incorporate.  This needs to sit for 30-60 minutes before it's thick enough to spread.

Assembly:

Cut the cake in half and then split each of the resulting layers to get four thin, long layers.  Put one of the bottom layers down and then add a layer of pastry cream.  Repeat for the second and third layers. Make the last layer one of two bottom layers and put it down upside down to get a smooth top.  Put it in the refrigerator to firm up for an hour.  Trim the edges and frost liberally with Chocolate Satin frosting.  Clean up the plate and serve.  Bon appetit!

Carrot Cake

This recipe is heavily based on Alton Brown's recipe that you can find here.  I've changed the pan size and make more frosting in my version.  The cake above has been further decorated with pecan praline which was made by me and some seasonal cherries whose colors were made by science.

12 oz grated carrots
12 oz flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
3/4 cup cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Oven to 350

Whisk flour, baking powder, soda and spices in a bowl
Sprinkle flour mixture over carrots and stir to combine
Combine sugars, eggs, cream and oil.
Mix with flour and carrots until just combined
Put in greased 13/9 inch pan
Start checking at 40 minutes.  It probably needs an hour.
Frost when cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

This makes more than I need for a cake but  I don't really use cream cheese for anything else so I have to scale it to accommodate using only entire packages.

16 oz cream cheese (2 boxes)
4 oz butter
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla
Slowly add sugar
Spread on cake.