Banana Cream-Topped Cakes

Rich in calcium.

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Bonjour and welcome to recipe no. 8.

To achieve this final result, my husband had to eat over twenty of these little cakes in the span of a week. Am I a threat to his BMI?

I started off with plain banana cakes. First try - nailed it! And they were divine. Then I decided to fill them with raspberry purée. But the cakes didn’t bake properly and split right down the middle.

Every morning, as soon as I open my eyes, my mind starts whirring. I think about how I could improve or invent this or that recipe. And that morning, I woke up with a brilliant idea: what if I topped my banana cakes with a thick banana cream?

I tied on my kitchen apron like a good little housewife, and the first result wasn’t too bad. But the cream wasn’t thick enough, not cold enough, too airy. The ingredients hadn’t had time to blend: the banana flavor was too strong, the mascarpone too bold. A bit sickening.

I was disappointed, so I “undressed” one of the cakes and ate it plain. Coquin de sort!* I packed everything into a container and stashed it in the fridge. I was done with them. Clearly, my husband couldn’t handle another banana cake. And I was fed up.

Except… after sitting in the fridge overnight, those banana cream–topped cakes had transformed. The next morning, they were absolutely killer! Overnight, the ingredients in the cream had had time to get to know each other, to merge, to harmonize. The texture was exactly what I’d hoped for: firm, cool, and melt-in-the-mouth. The taste was soft, subtle, light. It was magically delicious.

So don’t be too hasty when it comes to tasting your little cakes - wait until the next day!

* “Coquin de sort” is a playful old-fashioned expression from Provence, the kind a mischievous grandpa might use. It’s a lighthearted way to express frustration with a smile - like swearing, but sweetly and without any rudeness.

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Banana Cream-Topped Cakes

Moelleux de crème à la banane

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Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 small cakes.

For the batter:

• 2 very ripe bananas

• 2 eggs

• 50 g light brown sugar

• 1 packet of vanilla sugar (about 10 g)

• 1 Greek yogurt (150 g)

• 180 g all-purpose flour (or any cake flour)

• 1/2 packet of baking powder (6 g)

• 1 pinch of salt

• 50 ml grapeseed oil (or another neutral oil)

For the cream:

• 1 banana (no more than 80 g)

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 100 ml cold heavy cream

• 250 g cold mascarpone

• 1/2 tsp vanilla powder

• 20 g icing sugar

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Instructions

The batter:

1. In a mixing bowl, mash 2 bananas into a purée.

2. Add 2 eggs, 50 g of light brown sugar, and 1 packet (10 g) of vanilla sugar. Mix well.

3. Add 150 g of Greek yogurt and mix again.

4. In another bowl, combine 180 g of flour, 6 g of baking powder, and a pinch of salt.

5. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

6. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, then add 50 ml of grapeseed oil. Mix thoroughly.

7. Spoon about three small teaspoons of batter into each cup of your cupcake pan.

8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, depending on your oven.

9. Let them cool before removing from the pan.

The cream:

1. Mash the banana and blend it with 1 tsp of lemon juice until smooth and lump-free. Set aside in the fridge.

2. Whip 100 ml of very cold heavy cream with 250 g of cold mascarpone and 1/2 tsp of vanilla powder, preferably using a stand mixer or electric beaters, until you get a firm whipped cream (be careful not to over-whip or it may curdle).

3. Add the banana purée and sift 20 g of icing sugar on top. Whip for a few more seconds, just until everything is well combined.

4. Chill for 1 hour before piping onto the cakes using a star or round piping tip.

5. Then, let the cream-topped cakes rest overnight in the fridge.

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Thank’s for reading, let me know what you thought in the comments!