bananas foster cake
cake: preheat oven to 350f butter / flour three 9-inch cake pans
sift flour , soda , cinnamon and salt into a large bowl
peel bananas and mash with a fork , set aside
beat butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy
add eggs one at a time , scraping bowl thoroughly between each addition
beat in vanilla and lemon zest
add in 1 / 3 of flour just until combined
add 1 / 2 of sour cream just until combined
repeat with 1 / 2 of remaining flour , then remaining sour cream , ending with flour
beat in bananas
divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean
cool cakes on a rack for 20 minutes before removing from pans
pastry cream: heat half-and-half , 3 tablespoons sugar , and salt in small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering , stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar
meanwhile , whisk egg yolks in medium bowl until thoroughly combined
whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and whisk until sugar has begun to dissolve and mixture is creamy , about 15 seconds
whisk in cornstarch until combined and mixture is pale yellow and thick , about 30 seconds
when half-and-half mixture reaches full simmer , gradually whisk simmering half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper
return mixture to saucepan , scraping bowl with rubber spatula
return to simmer over medium heat , whisking constantly , until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface and mixture is thickened and glossy , about 30 seconds
off heat , whisk in butter and vanilla
transfer mixture to medium bowl , press plastic wrap directly on surface , and refrigerate until cold and set , at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours
buttercream: whisk egg whites and sugar together thoroughly in a heat proof bowl
set bowl over a pot of boiling water
whisking constantly , heat mixture until sugar has dissolved and mixture is just too hot to dip your finger inches pour into bowl of a standing mixer and beat on high speed to make a stiff meringue
continue beating on slow speed until cooled to room temp , about 10 minutes
gradually beat in butter a few cubes at a time until all is incorporated
beat in vanilla and rum
you can refrigerate this for up to 10 days or freeze up to a month
bring to room temp and whisk before using
caramel sauce: in a small to medium saucepan , combine the sugar and water and cook over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves
stop stirring , increase heat to high , cover and bring to a full boil
after a minute or so , remove the lid and cook without stirring until it begins to turn a golden brown around the edges
in the meantime , heat the cream until it begins to simmer
set aside for a moment
as soon as you start to see the sugar syrup turn golden , carefully swirl the pan to redistribute the caramel
a few moments longer is all it will take -- just until it is an even golden color
now , remove from the heat and slowly pour in the cream while stirring with a long-handled wooden spoon
it will bubble up furiously , so be careful not to let it overflow
stop for a second and let it die down if necessary
keep stirring until the mixture is smooth
stir in salt and let cool to room temperature
assembly: spread cold pastry cream between cake layers
ice sides and top with buttercream
pipe a decorative border around the top edge of the cake to create a dam for the caramel
if the caramel has cooled too much to pour , warm it just until it's more fluid , but not warm enough to melt the buttercream
pour an even layer of caramel onto the top of the cake
save the rest for serving along side or over ice cream , or eat it with a spoon -- it's amazing !
decorate the cake however you like -- i use sliced bananas dipped in lemon juice and candied walnuts