Banana Turtle Torte
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
- pinch salt
- 6 ounce unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 cup sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon banana liqueur, optional
- 4 bananas, thinly sliced
- Additional coarsely chopped pecans, optional
Instructions
Serving Size :10. Combine sugar and water in heavy medium saucepan; stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cook without stirring until caramel is deep amber color, brushing down any crystals that form on sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; carefully add cream. (Mixture will bubble vigorously.) Return to low heat and whisk until smooth. Add butter and salt and whisk until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter three 9" diameter cake pans with 1 1/2" high sides. Line bottoms of pans with parchment or waxed paper; butter paper. Combine chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan. Stir over low heat until melted. Cool. Whisk in eggs and sugar. Stir in flour, vanilla, and salt. Divide batter among prepared pans and spread evenly. Sprinkle 3/4 cup pecans atop each. Bake cakes until set and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs still attached, about 15 minutes. Cool in pans on rack. Turn out layers and remove waxed paper. Beat whipping cream and liqueur to stiff peaks. Place 1 cake layer pecan side up on platter. Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel over. Cover with layer of bananas. Spread 1 cup whipped cream over bananas. Drizzle 3 tablespoons caramel over cream. Top with second cake layer. Repeat layering with 1/4 cup caramel, bananas, 1 cup whipped cream and 3 tablespoons caramel. Top with remaining cake layer. Drizzle 1/4 cup caramel over cake. Transfer remaining whipped cream to pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe resettes of cream around top edge of torte. Garnish with bananas. Sprinkle with pecans. Rewarm remaining caramel. Serve Torte with Caramel.