Name: Gluten-free dark chocolate and banana cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Bake
Ingredients: 125 ml cream; 5 ml vanilla extract; 150 g dark chocolate finely chopped; sea salt Maldon, for sprinkling, optional; 100 g butter; 150 g dark chocolate finely chopped; 125 ml LANCEWOOD® Buttermilk; 125 ml cream cheese plain, at room temperature; 3 eggs large; 2 bananas chopped; 180 ml brown sugar; 125 ml cocoa powder; 5 ml vanilla extract; 2.5 ml Robertson's baking powder; 160 ml almond flour

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Ingredients (15)

Ganache:

125 ml	cream
5 ml	vanilla — extract
150 g	dark chocolate — finely chopped
	sea salt — Maldon, for sprinkling, optional

CAKE:

100 g	butter
150 g	dark chocolate — finely chopped
125 ml	LANCEWOOD® Buttermilk
125 ml	cream cheese — plain, at room temperature
3	eggs — large
2	bananas — chopped
180 ml	brown sugar
125 ml	cocoa powder
5 ml	vanilla — extract
2.5 ml	Robertson's baking powder
160 ml	almond flour

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Method:

For the ganache, heat the cream and vanilla extract until warm. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Allow it to cool until thick.

For the cake, pre heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 18cm loose-bottom cake tin generously with cooking spray or line it with baking paper.

Melt the butter. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until melted.

Add the buttermilk, cream cheese, eggs, bananas, brown sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and baking powder to a food processor. Pour in the melted butter and chocolate mixture and blend until smooth.

Stir in the almond flour and pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake for 50 minutes – 1 hour until a cake tester comes out clean but the top is still a bit wobbly.

Allow it to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.

Spread the thickened ganache over the top of the cooled cake. Add a light sprinkling of Maldon salt, if preferred.

Tips:
The cake can be made one day in advance as the bananas and cream cheese keep it wonderfully moist. Store it at room temperature, as the ganache will harden in the fridge.

If your ganache splits and becomes “oily” then keep it aside while you warm 100ml of cream in a saucepan. Pour the warmed cream over the split ganache and whisk until smooth and glossy.

Recipe reprinted with permission of Illanique van Aswegen.

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