Banana Chocolate Tart Gateau

I am not so sure about the name of this cake or tart. There is a chain shop of "fruit paradise" that sell variety of the cakes or tarts like this one that filled with fruits, sponge cake, mousse and cream etc and the bottom hold by a tart base for everything on the top. There are not only looks good also quite yummy. 

My son and I love to have a big slice for afternoon tea during our monthly shopping in Singapore. While enjoying the cake I was thinking if I could make this by myself would be good until recently I had a chance to try it for a birthday party for August babies in our cell group. 

This 4 kg huge cake was very impressing for everyone in the cell and it taste good too. I'm so pleased for the result although it's quite time consuming as many process and steps involved. After all, I must say it worth the effort. 

Recipe for 11 inches approximately 4kg gateau

Shortcrust pastry for the bottom of the cake:

330g plain flour

35g sugar powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

160g cold butter (cut into small chunk)

70g whole beaten eggs

For the pastry, mix the flour, sugar powder and salt in a food processor until combine.  Add the butter and pulse the food processor in few times until everything become fine bread crumbs.  Add in the beaten egg and pulse again for few times until it almost come to a dough. Take out the dough and flatten it to become a round disc. Cling wrap it and chill in the fridge at least 1 hour before use.

Line the chilled pastry onto a 28cm tart pan. Use a folk to poke some holes on the pastry then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line a baking parchment on the tart surface and add the baking beans to blind bake the pastry at 220C preheated oven for 15 minutes. Take the pastry out and remove the beans and baking parchment. Egg wash the pastry surface and continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack at room temperature until ready to use.

Cocoa sponge cake recipe for 8 inches round cake pan : 

whole eggs 203g

egg yolks 32g

caster sugar 135g

glucose 21g

salt 1g

oil 32g

cocoa powder 21g

plain flour 106g

baking soda 1g

milk 21cc

Heat up the oil in a sauce pan, turn off the heat and add cocoa powder immediately and stir until well mix. Set aside to cool.

Whisk the whole egg, egg yolk, salt and sugar at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Turn the speed to medium and add the glucose and then continue beating until stable foamy batter. 

Sieve in the flour and baking soda. With electric mixer on low speed, mix in few second until no lumps left. Do not over mixed at this stage. 

Take out 1/3 of the batter mix into cocoa mixture until combine. Pour it back to the egg batter with the milk and fold everything together with a hand whisk or spatula until well combine. 

Pour into a lose bottom baking pan and bake at preheated oven at 180C for 30 - 35 minutes. Cool upside down on a wire rack before unmould with a thin sharp knife. Once completely cool and unmould, divide the cake into four equal portions horizontally. You will need two pieces for this cake and keep another two pieces in the freezer for future usage or other puporses.

To assemble the cake you may need:

100g dark chocolate to brush the tart base

1 recipe of chocolate mousse

500ml Whipped cream

50g icing sugar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cups cointreau

Fresh bananas

Fresh lemon juice

Some chocolate leaves or flakes for garnish

Some cocoa powder for garnish

Gently remove the shortcrust pastry from the pan and place on a serving board or cake board. 

Melt the chocolate on a double boiler until melted and brush on the shortcrust pastry then chill in the fridge.

For the chocolate mousse:

30g egg yolks 

45g sugar

120ml melted butter

225g dark chocolate (melted)

375ml whipped cream

Whisk the egg yolk and sugar on a double boiler until pale in color and thicken. Mix in the melted butter.

Add the melted dark chocolate to the egg yolk mixture, mix until well combine.

Fold in the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the chocolate mousse into the brushed chocolate shortcrust pastry and chill in the fridge until set.

Whip up the whipping cream with icing sugar and vanilla extract.  Spread a thin layer on the chocolate mousse then place one piece of cocoa sponge cake on top. Brush some cointeau on the cake then another thin layer of whipped cream. 

Halve the fresh bananas and brush with lemon juice to avoid turning brown. Immediately arrange on the cake. Leave a space at the center without bananas. 

Spread some whipped cream cover the bananas and top with a piece of cocoa sponge cake. Brush the sponge cake with contreau then thinly spread some whipped cream on the surface. 

Again, halve the fresh bananas and brush with lemon juice to avoid turning brown. Immediately arrange on the cake. Leave a space at the center without bananas. Spread the whipped cream all over the top and the side. 

Slice the bananas into small pieces and brush with lemon juice and immediately place on the cake start from the bottom edges around the cake until fully cover 2/3 of the cake. 

Put some whipped cream into a piping bag, squeeze out on the top around the cake to decorate. Then place some chocolate leaves or flakes at the side. Continue to slice the bananas and brush with lemon juice then arrange on the rest of the cake at the top.  

Sprinkle some cocoa powder at the squeeze out whipped cream. Chilled in the fridge for 4 hours before serve.