Banana Chiffon Cake

Chiffon cakes might seem like a lot of steps but if you enjoy the process and take your time you will be rewarded with a light and fluffy cake that is perfect for a special celebration.

• 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
• 1 cup egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the oil, eggs, fresh lemon juice, banana and lemon rind.
4. Beat until smooth. The mixture will be thick.
5. Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into a large clean bowl. (make sure there is no oily residue on the bowl and no specks of yolk)
6. Beat the egg whites until very stiff. Watch closely that they don't start to break down and become lumpy.
7. Mix together the batter mixture with the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula, folding it carefully. Do not stir as it will deflate the egg whites and your cake will be tough and flat.
8. Turn the batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan and bake on the bottom rack of your oven for about 65 minutes or until the tops springs back when lightly touched.
9. Invert the pan. You don't want the cake top to touch the counter so create a space by putting the edges of the pan over to taller items like inverted bread pans for instance.
10. Allow to cool and then slice carefully down the edges and remove the cake from the pan and place the cake upside down on a cake platter.

Decorate the cake with Chocolate Ganache, Candied Walnuts and broken Skor bars and drizzle chocolate syrup over each slice and garnish with some sliced bananas and a dollop of ice cream.

Chocolate Ganache

• 1 pound good quality dark chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1/4 unsalted butter.

1. Finely chop the chocolate
2. Bring the cream, sugar, corn syrup and butter to a simmer.. .stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stirring until smooth.
4. Add the butter and continue to stir until smooth.

Candied Walnuts

• 1 1/2 cups fresh walnuts
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of salt

1. Spread the walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast them for about 5 minutes in a 325 F oven. Watch them closely so they don't burn.
2. In a small saucepan, stir the sugar constantly with a wooden spoon until it begins to melt. When the sugar melts and the color turns a warm amber, add a dash of salt and  quickly stir the walnuts into the sugar and then quickly dump onto a piece of parchment paper to cool. Break apart to decorate the cake top.

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