Banana Boston Cream Cake

A fantastic recipe; this chocolate covered banana cake is filled with homemade custard - and tastes amazing. A nice fruity, indulgent version of the traditional Boston Cream Pie. Takes a good few hours, but is definately worth it!

 Ingredients

For the Sponge

100g Unsalted Butter, Softened

150g Caster Sugar

2 Large Eggs, Beaten and at room temperature

2 Very Ripe Bananas, Mashed

125g Soured Cream

1tsp Vanilla Extract

300g Plain Flour

1/2tsp Salt

3/4tsp Baking Powder

1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

For the Custard

250ml Whole Milk

1tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Egg Yolks

50g Caster Sugar

15g Plain Flour

15g Cornflour

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache

150g Good Quality Dark Cooking Chocolate, Chopped

150ml Whipping/Double Cream

To Decorate (Optional)

20g White Cooking Chocolate

20g Dark Cooking Chocolate

5g Margarine

1 Digestive Biscuit, Crushed

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3, and line or grease two 20cm sandwich tins.

2. Using a free-standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it turns a cream colour. Slowly add a bit of the beaten eggs, mixing well after each addition.

3. In a jug, mix the mashed bananas, soured cream and vanilla, and then slowly add to the mixer on a low speed, making sure everything is incorporated. At this point it may curdle, but don't worry.

4. Sieve in all of the dry ingredients, and fold in with a spatula until even and smooth. Split between the two tins, and bake for about 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick placed in the center of the cake comes out clean. Once baked, take them out of the tins after 10 minutes of cooling time, and then leave on a wire rack to cool fully.

5. Whilst the cakes are baking, prepare the custard. Heat the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan and a medium-low heat until it boils. Meanwhile mix the yolks, sugar and flours to form a paste. Pour a bit of the warmed milk onto the paste and mix. Place paste into the saucepan, and put on a medium heat. Whisk for about 4-5 minutes, or until it properly thickens up and is smooth - but no longer or the eggs will scramble. Pour onto a baking tray and cover with cling film - this will stop a skin from forming. Leave to cool.

6. As the cakes are cooling, prepare the ganache. Do this by heating the cream in a saucepan until it's almost boiling and then pour on top of the chocolate, mixing until its all melted, and a smooth and glossy ganache is formed. Set aside to cool. 

7. Once the cakes are cool, using a hand mixer, whisk the custard until smooth. Then spread the custard on top of one of the cakes with a palette knife, and place the other cake on top. Wrap the sides tightly with cling film, and place in the fridge for 40 minutes so the custard sets.

8. Whilst the cake is setting, make the chocolate curls. Melt the two chocolates separately, the dark with 3g of margarine, and the white with 2g. Pour into a lined ramekin, and swirl with a toothpick. Place in the fridge until completely set, and then remove the block of chocolate, and (with cold hands) use a swivel bladed vegetable peeler to peel off curls. This step may take a few attempts, and a few times you might have to put the block in the fridge for a bit before carrying on. Place the finished curls in the fridge until needed. 

9. Once the cake has set, take off the cling film, and place on a wire rack with a plate underneath. Pour the ganache on top and smooth out with a palette knife around the sides. Leave for a while, and then before the ganache has completely set, place your biscuit crumbs and curls however you want.

Enjoy :)

Foolproof Chocolate Fondants

One of my favourite, rich recipes of all time, this mouth watering chocolate sauce-filled sponge dessert awesome. Make sure you use good quality chocolate. 

Makes 4. 

Ingredients

100g Dark Cooking Chocolate

120g Caster Sugar 

!00g Plain Flour, Sifted

100g Unsalted Butter

2 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks 

2tsp Tia Maria Liqueur (optional) 

Some Cocoa Powder

Strawberries and Ice Cream (To Serve)

Method

1. Grease 4 ramekins and dust with cocoa powder, spreading evenly and letting the excess fall into the next one. Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan. 

2. Melt the butter and the chocolate over a bain-marie, and leave to cool slightly

3. Whisk the eggs, yolks and the sugar until pale and thick, and then add the chocolate mixture. Fold in the flour and liqueur, and distribute between the 4 ramekins.

4. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the tops of all of them don't look glossy. Leave for 3 minutes. 

5. Carefully go around the outside of each fondant with a small palette knife - if you muck this up, it won't turn out properly. Carefully turn onto plates, and serve immediately. 

Enjoy :) 

Marbled Cake Pops

A recipe I am planning to make in school and wanted to try out at home, these cake pops are so good, but you do need the cake pop tin. The actual cake is very simple, and this is really not too hard to make - you just need time.

Ingredients

The Cake
125g Self-Raising Flour
125g Soft Unsalted Butter
125g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2tsp Cocoa Powder

The Finish
200g Dark/Milk COOKING chocolate
100g White Chocolate
Ground Almonds or Dessicated Coconut

Wooden Skewers/Cake Pop Sticks

Method
1. Grease the mould and preheat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, then beat the eggs together in a jug, and gradually pour them in, beating well after each addition.

3. Fold in the flour, and then put half the mix in a separate bowl, and add the cocoa powder to one of them.

4. Place a bit of both of the mixes in each pod, and then marble with a toothpick. Make sure it only reaches a small dome above the lip of each pod. Place in the oven for about 15, but place a cake tester in the hole before taking them out.

5. While the cakes are cooling, melt the dark/milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, and pour into a ramekin.

6. Once the cakes have cooled, pop them out. Dip one end of the skewer about 1cm into the chocolate, and then push into one side of the cake about 3/4 of the way, and place on a sheet of greaseproof paper, stick up.

7. To stop the chocolate in the ramekin from hardening, place the ramekin into a larger bowl with hot water. Once the chocolate around the sticks have hardened and the sticks are held in place, dip each pop into the chocolate in the ramekin until its completely enrobed in chocolate, letting excess drip back into the ramekin. Place one end of the skewer into a colander, as in the picture to let the chocolate harden.

8. Once all the dark/milk chocolate has hardened, melt the white chocolate like the dark/milk and while turning the skewer of a cake pop, pick up a small amount of white chocolate on a teaspoon, and let it drip onto the cake pop, creating swirls.

9. Before you return the pops to the colander, sprinkle with a some ground almonds or dessicated coconut so it sticks to the white chocolate, and shake off the excess. Return to the colander and leave to set.