Moist Banana Layer Cake with Honey Buttercream
Two layer moist banana cake with a banana crémeux filling and light silky honey buttercream frosting.
Servings: 1 8-inch two layer cake
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
Banana Cake
- 315 grams cake flour *see notes
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 250 grams granulated sugar
- zest from one large lemon
- 170 grams softened salted butter European style 82% butterfat
- 28 grams sunflower oil
- 180 grams crème fraiche
- 300 grams mashed ripe bananas about 3 large bananas
- 150 grams eggs
- 1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste
Banana Crémeux Filling
- 1 batch banana crémeux
Honey Buttercream Frosting
- 1-2 batches honey Swiss meringue buttercream
Decoration
- edible flowers
Instructions
Banana Crémeux
- Make the banana crémeux a day ahead and store in the fridge.1 batch banana crémeux
Banana Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). For fan assist lower oven temp by 25°. Prep two 8-inch round cake pans with oil spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- Combine the sugar and lemon zest together in a small bowl and rub together with your fingertips to release the lemon oils. Set aside.250 grams granulated sugar, zest from one large lemon
- Blend over-ripe bananas, crème fraiche, vanilla and eggs in a food processor until combined. It should have a milkshake consistency.180 grams crème fraiche, 300 grams mashed ripe bananas, 1.5 tsp vanilla bean paste, 150 grams eggs
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, hand whisk together flour, lemon sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda.315 grams cake flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- Using the paddle attachment on medium-low speed, beat in the softened butter and oil until it resembled wet sand. About 2 minutes.170 grams softened salted butter, 28 grams sunflower oil
- With the mixer still on, slowly pour in half of the banana mixture. Beat until well combined (1 minute). Pour in the second half of the banana mixture and mix until you have a smooth thick batter. About 1-2 minutes.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Spread and level the batter with an offset spatula.
- Place the pans on the middle oven rack and bake for 28-33 minutes. You'll know the cakes are done when the top springs back with a gentle finger press and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Transfer cake pans to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Then, invert the pans upside down onto the rack, remove cakes from their pans and peel away parchment paper. Let the cakes cool upside down. They should be about 3.5cm (1.3-inches) thick.
- Once cakes are fully cooled, carefully wrap them in plastic wrap and store at room temp until ready to assemble. (up to 1 day) Or place them into the fridge for about 30 minutes to slightly firm. Cold cakes will be easier to handle during assembly.
Honey Buttercream
- Make two batches of honey buttercream if you want one for the cake frosting and a second to add piped decoration frosting. It's best to make two batches, as I find one is enough for my stand mixer to handle.1-2 batches honey Swiss meringue buttercream
Cake Assembly
- Place one layer of cake upside down on your serving dish. Pipe an outer ring of honey buttercream across the top, staying inside the edge. This will work as a barrier to hold in the crémeux.
- Pipe the crémeux in a spiral inside the ring of frosting to cover the cake. Smooth lightly with an offset satula.
- Next, place the second layer of cake also upside down on top of the first. Frost the sides and top of the cake with buttercream and smooth.
- Pipe any additional frosting decoration across the cake and sprinkle with edible flowers. The rémeux is also stable enough to be piped in dollops.edible flowers
- Leftover crémeux can be served alongside the cake or saved for serving with fresh fruit.
Notes
- Ingredients Used & Substitutions:
- Flour: Swans Down Cake Flour 8% protein
- Swap evenly for Gold Medal All Purpose Flour 10.5-11% protein
- In France, use Farine T45 with 8% protein
- Butter: President Unsalted Butter 82% butterfat (European style cultured butter)
- Crème Fraiche: Swap for greek yogurt or sour cream.
- Flour: Swans Down Cake Flour 8% protein
- Oven: This recipe was written for a conventional oven (top and bottom heat). For convection fan ovens, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees and begin checking for doneness 75% of the way through baking.
- Storage: The fully assembled cake should be placed in an airtight container. It can sit at room temp for up to 1 day. Best kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Weigh your flour: The measurement I use: 1 cup of flour equals 125 grams. This amount can change based on a different baker’s recipe or using a conversion tool. The weight listed in the recipe is how it was tested and should be used for accuracy. Different brands of flour are made with soft or hard wheat and have varying levels of protein, ranging from low to high. This can change the final result of a baked good, giving different outcomes on the same recipe. I list the level of protein in the ingredients, the brand of flour tested with and a link to My Baking Ingredients for additional details. When choosing a flour, look at the protein level on the back of the bag and consult the recommended amount for the recipe.