Loaded with fresh banana flavor and toasted hazelnuts, this indulgently sweet Hazelnut Banana Cake is a delicious, decadent treat perfect for any time of year!
Banana bread is one of my favorite cakes, so turning it into a more extravagant layer cake was really fun, especially given how well it pairs with toasted crunchy hazelnuts – it’s out of this world good! The frosting pairs so well with the banana cake, and is subtle enough to still let the other flavors shine.
INGREDIENTS
Cake
- 8 eggs, room temp
- 8 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, ground
- 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Milk soak
- ½ cup whole milk (or buttermilk)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 ½ cups whole milk, room temp
- 4 tbsp semolina flour
- 4 tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar
- 5 tbsp toasted hazelnuts, ground
- 1 cup butter, softened (250g)
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed
- 2 large ripe bananas, sliced
METHOD
Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three cake pans. (I used three 8-inch pans for my cake.)
- In a large mixing bowl, beat in the eggs and sugar together until smooth, and then add the bananas, mixing until fully incorporated.
- Stir in the flour and baking powder until just combined.
- Using a spatula, fold in the hazelnuts and pure vanilla extract and divide the mixture evenly into the cake pans.
- Bake for about 20-23 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the top is springy to the touch.
- Leave in pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
- Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to boil, stirring gently. Remove from heat and pour in semolina flour, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
- Place the saucepan back over medium heat; whisk until it comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, until porridge thickens.
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in ground hazelnuts. Set aside to cool completely.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine semolina porridge and butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated, and then add the mashed banana.
Milk soak
- Whisk together the milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Use immediately.
The cake is assembled from top to bottom as follows:
- frosting – top
- banana cake [+milk soak*]
- sliced banana
- frosting
- banana cake [+milk soak*]
- sliced banana
- frosting
- banana cake – bottom [+milk soak*]
*[ Poke holes all over your cake with a toothpick, and drizzle or brush about 2 tablespoons of the mixture over the surface of each cake throughout every stage of assembly and decoration – this ensures the cake stays moist. ]
Garnish the cake with chopped, toasted hazelnuts for added texture and extra crunch.
Enjoy!
If you’ve made this Hazelnut Banana Cake recipe don’t forget to let me know how you got on in the comments below!
