Banana and Hazelnut Cake with Cherries

5 from 1 vote

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

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Total Time1 10

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: German

Servings: pieces

Calories: 483kcal

Author: Adina

200 g dark or semi-sweet chocolate about 50-60 % cocoa, 7 oz
250 g unsalted butter 8.8 oz/ 1 cup, very soft
250 g granulated sugar 8.8 oz/ 1 ¼ cups
4 eggs
150 ml milk 5 fl.oz/ ⅔ cup
180 g all-purpose flour 6.3 oz/ 1 ½ cups
2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
200 g ground hazelnuts 7 oz/ 1 ⅔ cups
1 jar of cherries about 300 g/ 10.5 oz/ about 1 ⅓ cups pitted cherries when drained
3 large bananas ripe but not overripe
4 teaspoons cornstarch (Note 2)
4 teaspoons icing sugar (Note 2)
400 ml heavy cream 13.5 fl.oz/ 1 ¾ cups
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
400 g crème fraiche or sour cream 14 oz/ 1 ⅔ cups (Note 3)
some banana chips to decorate the cake optional

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 using 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.
Melt chocolate: Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler/ bain-marie. Let it cool slightly until you prepare the rest.
Wet ingredients: 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.
Batter: In another bowl, mix 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 prepared baking sheet.
Fruit: 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.
Bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

Mix cornstarch and the icing sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
Beat the 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.
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 of vanilla sugar or granulated sugar if you feel it is necessary.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into squares and decorate with banana chips just before serving.

Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
If available, use 2 packets of cream stabilizer for whipping cream instead of the cornstarch and icing sugar mixture.
You can use Schmand (in Germany) or smetana, if available.