This is one big, tall, scrumptious dessert: layers of moist banana cake topped with a mocha ganachelike frosting, and crowned with handfuls of salted candied peanuts. Speaking of tall and scrumptious, I made this cake for a friend who’s a showgirl at the Lido in Paris as a thank you for allowing me a behind-the-scenes visit. She shared it with her colleagues between high kicks on stage and she assured me that even though those women are leggy and lean, their cake-eating capacity knew no limits. The next morning, I read an email, sent at 3 A.M., undoubtedly just after the last curtain call, giving the cake quite a few thumbs up. Or, should I say, a few legs up?

　　

Ingredients

makes one 9-inch (23-cm) cake; 12 to 16 servings

　　

Cake

2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

　　3/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup (8 ounces/230 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1 tablespoon instant espresso or coffee powder

　　2 large eggs, at room temperature

　　6 tablespoons (90 ml) buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream (regular or low-fat), at room temperature

　　2 cups (500 ml) banana purée (3 to 4 very ripe bananas)

　　1 1/4 cups (125 g) pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

　　

Candied Peanuts

1 cup (150 g) raw or unsalted lightly roasted peanuts (see Tip)

　　1/2 cup (100 g) sugar

　　3 tablespoons (45 ml) water

　　1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

　　1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　

Frosting

10 ounces (280 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

　　1/2 cup (125 ml) strong brewed coffee or espresso

　　10 tablespoons (5 ounces/140 g) unsalted or salted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch (23-cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

　　

Step 3

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the 1 cup (8 ounces/230 g) butter and 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and instant espresso or coffee powder, then beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and banana purée. Stir in the remaining flour mixture, then stir in the pecans or walnuts just until combined. Don’t overmix.

　　

Step 4

Divide the batter evenly among the 2 prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

　　

Step 5

To prepare the peanuts, in a medium heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, combine the peanuts, 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, and the water. When the sugar begins to liquefy, begin stirring. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the sugar crystallizes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring, letting the crystallized sugar on the bottom melt and brown slightly. Then, use a heatproof spatula to scrape up the liquefied sugar and continuously coat the peanuts with it, tilting the pan to help the sugar coat the nuts evenly.

　　

Step 6

Once the peanuts are a bit glossy and coated with syrup (there will be some sugary crystals on them still, which is normal), sprinkle the sea salt and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon over them. Stir the peanuts a couple of times, then scrape the candied peanuts onto a baking sheet and let cool completely.

　　

Step 7

To make the frosting, combine the chocolate and coffee in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the 10 tablespoons (5 ounces/140 g) butter until combined.

　　

Step 8

To assemble the cake, run a knife around the sides of the cakes to help them loosen from the pans. Invert one cake onto a serving plate and peel off the parchment. Spread about 3/4 cup (180 ml) of the mocha frosting over the surface of the cake. Invert the second cake layer out of its pan, peel off the parchment, and place it over the frosted cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting evenly over the top and sides of the cake.

　　

Step 9

Coarsely chop 1 cup (100 g) of the candied peanuts and sprinkle them over the top of the cake.

　　

Storage

Step 10

The cake will keep for up to 3 days, at room temperature. Because of its height, the cake is best stored under a cake dome.

　　

Variation

Step 11

If you’re serving the cake to kids, you can replace the coffee in the frosting with water or decaffeinated coffee.

　　

tip

Step 12

If you can’t find raw peanuts (I buy them in Asian markets), you can use unsalted roasted peanuts that aren’t too darkly roasted. You can also replace the peanuts with raw almonds. The recipe makes more candied peanuts than you’ll need for the cake—leftovers are great sprinkled over ice cream or just eaten out of hand. If you wish, you can use 1 cup store-bought honey-roasted peanuts in lieu of making your own salted candied peanuts.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.