Banana and Hazelnut Cake with Cherries

Moist banana and hazelnut cake with cherries or chocolate traybake with sour cream topping.

CHOCOLATE BANANA CHERRY CAKE

A decadent, soft and delicious banana and hazelnut cake with cherries and chocolate. And to make it even better and richer, add some heavy and sour cream on top. It might sound like a lot of ingredients, but don’t worry about it, despite the long list, the cake is very quick and easy to make.

We love chocolate and nuts combinations! Either a simple and healthy chocolate peanut butter spread, a quick chocolate hazelnut loaf cake or a rich hazelnut chocolate traybake. And this banana cherry chocolate cake with hazelnuts is just as delicious as all the others.

A German traybake, maybe not as typical as a regular streusel cake or apple cake, but just as good and much more festive.

So, if you are still looking for something sweet to bake soon, this might be a very good option, a cake sure to please everyone, especially the kids or those mothers-in-law with a serious sweet tooth, like my own, she must have devoured 3 large pieces in one go, and she is a very little woman… :).

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate:

• Dark or semi-sweet chocolate, I use chocolate with 50-60 % cocoa most of the time, but a little more or less is fine.

Cocoa powder:

• Unsweetened, pure cocoa powder, nothing containing sugar.

Cherries:

• You will need cherries from a jar.
• The jars in Germany are rather large and contain about 300 g/ 10.5 oz/ 1 1/3 cups cherries when drained.
• If you have a little more or less than that is fine.
• The same amount of fresh, pitted cherries can be used instead.

Bananas:

• About 3 large bananas, ripe but not overripe.
• Banana chips only for decorating purposes. Leave them out, if you don’t have them or don’t like them.

Dairy:

• For the topping, you will need heavy cream and either crème fraiche or sour cream.
• If you live in Germany, you can use Schmand.
• If you live anywhere in Eastern Europe you can use schmant/smantana/smetana.

Otherwise, you will need ground hazelnuts, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, vanilla extract.

HOW TO MAKE A CHOCOLATE TRAYBAKE

Tips:

• Always use a kitchen scale when baking, it guarantees for best results.
• I recommend using a deeper baking tray or to use a square baking frame. The mixture will not run off the baking tray if you don’t use that, but it will look better, more even, if you do.
• Don’t overmix the topping ingredients or the mixture will be too runny.

Steps for making the banana cherry cake:

• Preheat the oven and prepare the baking tray.
• Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler/ bain-marie. Let it cool slightly until you prepare the rest.
• Cream the soft butter and the sugar.
• Add the eggs, one after another, mixing well in between.
• Pour in the milk and the melted chocolate and stir in as well.
• In another bowl mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Sift the mixture over the wet ingredients, add the ground hazelnuts as well and fold in carefully. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking sheet.
• Spread the drained cherries and the sliced bananas all over the cake.
• Bake at 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

Topping:

• Beat the double cream with the cornstarch and the icing sugar. Add vanilla extract.
• If using a cream stabilizer, beat the cream shortly, slowly add the stabilizer and vanilla extract and beat the cream until stiff.
• Stir the sour cream or crème fraiche briefly with a spoon and fold it into the whipped cream. Don’t use the mixer to mix the two ingredients or the mixture get too soft and runny.
• Add 1 or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar or granulated sugar, if you feel it is necessary.
• Top the completely cooled banana and hazelnut cake with the cream topping.
• Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
• Cut into squares and decorate with banana chips just before serving. The banana chips are optional.

MORE CHOCOLATE CAKES

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING – Incredibly moist and topped with that luscious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, it can hardly get any better! 

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE – Brownie-like triple chocolate cake soaked in caramel syrup and topped with ganache and whipping cream, a must-have recipe for all chocolate lovers.

LAMINGTON CAKE – Lamington cake – traditional Australian cake squares dipped in a velvety chocolate icing and sprinkled with desiccated coconut, they are moist, comforting and utterly delicious!  

MOIST CHOCOLATE GATEAU – A sinfully delicious chocolate cake layered with a chocolate-double cream filling. 

Last updated: 03/04/2020.

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Banana and Hazelnut Cake with Cherries

Yield: 20 pieces

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Moist banana and hazelnut cake with cherries or chocolate traybake with sour cream topping.

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Ingredients

• 200 g/ 7 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate (about 50-60 % cocoa)
• 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 1 cup unsalted butter, very soft
• 250 g/ 8.8 oz/ 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs (medium Germany, large US)
• 150 ml/ 5 fl.oz/ 2/3 cup milk
• 180 g/ 6.3 oz/ 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 200 g/ 7 oz/ 1 2/3 cups ground hazelnuts
• 1 jar of cherries, about 300 g/ 10.5 oz/ about 1 1/3 cups pitted cherries when drained
• 3 large bananas, ripe but not overripe
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch (See note 1)
• 4 teaspoons icing sugar (See note 1)
• 400 ml/ 13.5 fl.oz/ 1 ¾ cups double/heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 400 g/ 14 oz/ 1 2/3 cups crème fraiche or sour cream (See note 2)
• some banana chips to decorate the cake, optional

Instructions

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with baking paper. I recommend using a deeper baking tray or to use a square baking frame. The mixture will not run off the baking tray if you don't use a baking frame or a deeper tray, but it will look better, more even if you do so.
2. Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler/ bain-marie. Let it cool slightly until you prepare the rest.
3. In a large mixing bowl cream the soft butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well in between. Pour in the milk and the melted chocolate and stir in as well.
4. In another bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift the mixture over the wet ingredients, add the ground hazelnuts and fold in carefully. Pour the mixture onto the prepare baking sheet.
5. Drain the cherries and slice the bananas into 2 cm/0.8-inch slices. Spread the cherries and the bananas all over the cake batter on the tray.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

Topping:

1. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and the icing sugar. Set aside.
2. Beat the double/heavy cream shortly. Slowly start adding the cornstarch-sugar mixture (or the cream stabilizer, if using) and the vanilla extract. Continue whipping the cream until stiff.
3. Stir the sour cream or crème fraiche briefly with a spoon and fold it into the whipped cream. Don't use the mixer to mix the two ingredients or the mixture will get too soft and runny. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar or granulated sugar, if you feel it is necessary.
4. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Cut into squares and decorate with banana chips just before serving.
   

Notes

1. If available, use 2 packets cream stabilizer for whipping cream instead of the cornstarch and icing sugar mixture.
2. You can use Schmand (in Germany) or smetana, if available.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1 square
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 483Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 114mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 3gSugar: 24gProtein: 6g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.