Recipe: Banana Cake with Chocolate Hazelnut Mascarpone Cream

Recipe by Shelley Adams and Conner Adams

Serves 8

This is a super-easy layer cake with no buttercream icing or smooth edges to fiddle with. We love banana cake, and the addition of the chocolate hazelnut spread and mascarpone reminds us a bit of tiramisu. Easiest cake ever!

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ cup neutral oil, such as canola
• 1⅓ cups mashed ripe bananas  (about 3½ bananas)
• 2 tbsp full-fat plain Greek yogurt,  or sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt

Chocolate hazelnut mascarpone cream

• 1 cup mascarpone
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• ⅓ cup chocolate hazelnut spread  (Nutella or your favourite brand)
• Cocoa powder, for dusting

Photo by David R. Gluns

Method

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 325°F.

Grease bottoms of two 8-inch round baking pans and line with parchment paper.

Beat eggs and both sugars together using an electric mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until pale and thick.

Turn down the mixer to medium speed and slowly drizzle in oil until incorporated.

Fold in mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla.

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl, then fold gently into the banana mixture.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack before inverting out of the pan onto a baking sheet.

To make the chocolate hazelnut mascarpone cream: Whip mascarpone, whipping cream and sugar together using an electric mixer on high speed until thick and almost-stiff peaks form.

Divide the cream equally into two bowls.

Gently fold the chocolate hazelnut spread into one bowl of cream so there are still swirls through the cream. Leave the other bowl plain.

To assemble: Place one layer of cake on a serving platter.

Top with the plain cream and spread almost to the edges.  Place the other layer on top, pressing down slightly.

Top with the swirled chocolate hazelnut cream, spreading it out to the edges.

Dust lightly with cocoa powder.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Chef’s Tip

Try substituting the chocolate hazelnut spread with your favourite smooth peanut butter.