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Monday, July 19, 2010

HCB: Chocolate Banana Stud Cake



I was really looking forward to this cake. So much so that I started ripening the banana 5 weeks ago. This being the summer season, the banana started turning black on week 3, so I put it in the freezer.

This prompted a funny conversation with J.
J: there's a banana in the freezer, is that okay?
Jenn: yes, that's okay. It's for the banana bread.
A week passes by...
J: there's a banana in the freezer (I guess he forgot the conversation last week :))
Jenn: that's for the banana bread.
On baking day... the frozen banana is on the counter top...
J: that banana doesn't look good. are you sure it's okay to use frozen banana?
Jenn: yes, I'm sure. I've asked some people on the club and they say it should be okay.
Jenn peeling the banana and weighing it on the scale...
Jenn: this banana is gross.
J: maybe that's not a good idea.
Jenn: but that's what we're supposed to use.

I continued on with the recipe, processed the "gross" (LOL) banana with the sour cream in the food processor. Then incorporated half the water cocoa mixture that I already made 1/2 hour ago into the banana.
Then mix all the dry ingredients in the KA mixer, incorporated the eggs vanilla mixture, the remainder of the cocoa mixture, and finally the banana mixture.
(I'm typing this from memory so I hope I got the order right :). Someone please tell me if I messed it up!).

I poured the batter into the prepared 7 inch pan. Heavenly smell came up - and I swear I thought I was gonna faint. Ripe banana smell and yummy chocolate. It smells like banana split! And... dipping my finger into the batter for a taste, it taste pretty darn close to banana split!!!

Brought the pan to J to smell...
J: Hmmmm!! Smells good!

I think this put to rest the discussion about whether or not it's a good idea use frozen banana, ^_^.

Once the cake is in the oven, I started making the ganache. I chopped the chocolate into little bits, and mix it by hand with the scalded cream. No need for food processor. For once, I left the ganache to set at room temperature without an ice bath. The cake baked in 25 minutes and I let it cool on the rack. 40 minutes later, the cake cooled and the ganache is still a little too runny. I started decorating anyway. Mostly because I was impatient, but then I thought that it was easier to spread the ganache at this consistency. At least on the top of the cake, on the sides I created a mess. Then I refrigerated the cake for a little bit to set the ganache. By this time the rest of the ganache in the bowl are more frosting-like, and I finished smoothing the rest of the cake.

I knew I wanted to fill the whole cake with chocolate chip studs and use a combination of the 2 colors. This is the design that I come up with. It takes 18 minutes to stud the whole cake (yes I timed it) - and it's about 350 chocolate chip studs. I was going to count exactly how many chips I used but I lost count at around 330, so 350 is an estimate. I do know that the outermost circle has close to 100 chocolate chips!

We haven't tried the cake. I know that's a crazy idea. I'll have a piece later today and report back on taste result :). If it taste as good as it smells then it will be FABULOUS!!!

Tasting impressions:
Finally had the piece of cake. The banana taste was more noticeable than I originally thought, but that’s also because I was intensely eating it and trying to distinguish the banana flavor. J liked the cake but he said he didn’t notice the banana flavor.



9 comments:

  1. gorgeous cake! I love how you did the 2-tone chips! You have sooo much patience! 18mins just to stud the chips in....and that's a lot of chips!

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  2. Beautiful pictures! That's so funny about the banana in the freezer. Who would think something which looks like it should be thrown out packs such flavor?

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  3. Ok.. I'm loving your new camera!!! you go girl! Great Pictures.
    I took a pass with this cake this weekend (still baked a banana cake for TWD - funny how this week choices shared the same ingredient) But I love how you did the 2-chip too.. since I was thinking the same thing when I was reading the recipe on Friday.... jejeje (Great minds think alike!).

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  4. Love the dual choc chip design you have going on there! Your cake looks really moist and delicious. Did you bake half the recipe? I thought I read that you used a 7" pan. Funny conversation, btw. Looking forward to hearing how you liked the cake. I took the Quality Control muffin to work with me today for a pick-me-upper later this afternoon. Yum!

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  5. You cake looks great! I like the chip design and admire your patience. Oh my, have had comments about bananas in the freezer over the years? Now, they don't pay it any attention.

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  6. Looks so moist and dense, and just god damn delicious!!!!!!
    Haha plus I loved your conversation at the beginning :) I never used frozen banana, it freaks me out. I had some really ripe ones and everyone said chuck them in the freezer, but I couldn't bring myself to do it so I just whipped up and posted a new banana cake recipe last night. Must be a banana baking virus spreading around? Haha.

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  7. Hi just jumping back in to say that bicarbodnate soda is different to club soda. Bicarb soda is a powder used in baking. I've never heard of club soda and when I googled it, it came up as a drink?

    If not you can just put some baking powder in there.

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  8. ב''ה

    I love your expression, " I was intensely eating it" :)

    Looks great!

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