Banana and Hard Cider Cake with Cherry Filling

As cherry season has just started, I immediately put my mind into using some of the cherries I’ve bought in a cake. At the same time, I, once again, had a couple of ripe bananas that could only be used in a cake. So it made sense to combine the two in one cake, and the result is in front of you.

The cake I originally had in mind was a tasty spiced banana and hard apple cider cake, which can be baked on its own. I didn’t want to just add some chopped cherries into the batter, as I wanted them to be more noticeable and add another layer of flavor and color to the cake. Therefore, I ended up cooking the cherries into a light, jam-like filling, which was spread over part of the cake batter, then topped with the rest of it.

This slightly sweet and acidic cherry filling elevated the humble banana cake to a new level, and the flavors of both complemented one another beautifully.  Baking the cake in a Bundt pan, allowed some of the cherry filling to collapsed into the center, once it was removed from the pan, creating a tasty fruity center. This tasty and aromatic cake will delight any fan of fruity cakes. Try it and enjoy.

 

Makes: 16

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time for the filling: 10 minutes

Chilling time for the filling: 15 minutes

Baking time: about 50 minutes

 

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1½ cups fresh cherries, stoned, cut in half

½ cup hard apple cider

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbs cornstarch mixed with 2 Tbs water

1 Tbs fresh lime (or lemon) juice

For the cake:

1 stick (115 grams) butter, soft + for the pan

2 large ripe bananas, mashed well

1¼ cups sugar

3 L eggs

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 tsp cinnamon powder

½ tsp cardamom powder

½ cup hard apple cider

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1. The filling: in a medium pot, mix the cherries, cider and sugar. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Mix in the cornstarch slurry, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is thick and shiny. Add the lime juice, mix and take off the heat. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to the fridge for 15 minutes.
2. The cake: preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Brush a 12 cup Bundt pan with a bit of the soft butter, and dust with a bit of flour. Turn the pan upside down and tap on in, to get rid of access flour. Place in the fridge until using.
3. Place the butter, banana, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom in a large bowl. Using a hand blender, blend on medium speed to incorporate. Add the cider and blend until smooth and foamy. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and blend briefly, to a smooth batter.
4. Transfer 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Spoon the chilled cherry filling in the middle, leaving the sides clean. Carefully top with the rest of the batter.
5. Bake for about 55 minutes, until the cake is golden, and a toothpick inserted to the side of the batter comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, before carefully releasing it onto a serving plate. Place the plate on a rack, to cool to room temperature before serving.

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