Milk Bar Banana Cake
I’m baaack and let me begin this post by saying that if you want to make this recipe you must be a little mad. This popular cake at Momofuku Milk Bar is so labor intensive that even they stopped selling it by the slice. Yes, the Milk Bar banana cake is delicious and it lives up to its reputation with its rich banana cream, hazelnut crunch, and gianduja fudge nestled between layers of moist, nutty banana cake. It’s seven different recipes rolled into one and you’ll have to source ingredients like hazelnut paste, gianduja and feuilletine, equipment like pastry rings and acetate strips, and you’ll need ultra ripe bananas.
I realized that not everyone owns pastry rings so I simplified the technique slightly so you can make it in regular cake pans. It isn’t a difficult cake to make but just make sure you have plenty of free time.
To tell you the truth I’m not even a huge fan of Momofuku Milk Bar. I can see why they’re popular but a lot of their offerings are a bit too sweet for me to the point it makes my pulse gallop after one bite. I make two exceptions for this Banana Cake and their Pistachio cake which are both simple but complex at the same time.
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Milk Bar Banana Cake
- Adapted from Christina Tosi in “Momofuku Milk Bar”
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- Serves 6
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For the banana cream:
- 3/4 pound very ripe bananas , cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 Tbsp and 1 tsp. cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy cream, cold
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
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For the hazelnut brittle:
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup sugar
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For the hazelnut crunch:
- 1/2 recipe hazelnut brittle
- 1 cup hazelnut paste
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 3 cups crisp rice cereal
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For the banana cake:
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 pound very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
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For the hazelnut frosting:
- 1/2 cup hazelnut praline paste
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
- Pinch of salt
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For the chocolate-hazelnut ganache:
- 1/2 cup hazelnut praline paste
- 4 ounces Gianduja chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. good-quality hot fudge sauce
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
- 1/3 cup whole milk
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For the banana cream:
- Combine bananas, 1/2 cup milk, and lemon juice in a food processor; process until smooth. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over remaining 1/4 cup milk.
- Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk in banana mixture, egg yolks, and 1/4 cup heavy cream until smooth and well blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula. Reduce heat to low and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in butter and reserved gelatin mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, to dissolve gelatin. Pour mixture into a bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice water; stir occasionally until cool.
- Whip remaining 3/4 cup cream just until stiff. Fold into banana mixture. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
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For the hazelnut brittle:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spread hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet; bake 12 to 15 minutes until toasted. Remove from oven and immediately rub nuts with a clean dish towel to remove as much of skins as possible; let cool. Spray another baking sheet with nonstick spray; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, swirling pot occasionally, until sugar melts and is amber in color. Stir in hazelnuts to coat with caramel, and pour onto prepared baking sheet. Spread nuts in a single layer with fork; let cool.
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For the hazelnut crunch:
- In a food processor, grind half of hazelnut brittle to a powder.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat powder, hazelnut paste, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until blended. Add rice cereal and beat until blended.
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For the banana cake layers:
- Adjust 2 oven racks to divide oven into thirds. Preheat oven to 325°. Grease three 10″ x 2″ round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment. Grease paper and dust pans with flour; tap out excess. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Gradually pour in sugar; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add bananas, buttermilk, and oil; blend until combined. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed until blended. Divide batter between prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around sides of pans and turn cakes onto racks. Remove parchment paper; let cool.
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For the hazelnut frosting:
- In a small bowl, beat hazelnut paste, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and salt until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes.
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For the chocolate-hazelnut ganache:
- In a medium bowl, combine hazelnut paste, chocolate, fudge sauce, and salt. Microwave on medium for 60 seconds, stirring after 30 seconds. Remove and stir until chocolate is melted. Gradually whisk in cream until blended. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
- Right before assembling, set bowl with ganache in a larger bowl of ice water and beat with a handheld mixer until ganache is fluffy and thick enough to spread.
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To assemble cake:
- Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate; brush top with whole milk. Spread with half the ganache. Sprinkle evenly with half the hazelnut crunch. Spoon half the banana cream over top and spread evenly. Repeat layering once, then top with last cake layer (brush top with milk), and spread the top with hazelnut frosting. Refrigerate cake at least 1 hour, covered loosely with plastic wrap. To serve, break remaining hazelnut brittle into small pieces and arrange on top of cake.