Banana Caramel Shortcake: Banana, I love you ^^

For me banana is of the fruit that has been taken for grated ^^. If you look in the cookbook, mostly it can be found in easy baking or comfort food category.

It's not wrong idea, but with its delicious taste and texture, why can't we praise it more, haha. So, you can see that I love to turn it into something dressy, because I really love it.
I know that the downside of it is the banana will turn black quickly after we peeling it, but if you turn it to caramelised banana you can prevent this problem and I use this method every times that I use banana as decoration. 
This time I mix all the things that I love, soft and sweet banana with delicious vanilla chiffon, caramel sauce and fragrance caramel whipped cream. The softness of the banana makes cake so comfy, a hint of bitterness from the caramel prevents this cake to be too sweet.  
Serve this cake with a cup of hot tea in the easy evening ^^, lingering the moment with this comforting cake, well comforting can come with style too. 

Banana Caramel Shortcake

Makes 3 layers 20 cm cake 

Vanilla Chiffon cake
65ml .............................. Vegetable oil ( I use rice barn oil)
70g ................................. Egg yolks
105g ............................... Egg whites
135g ................................ Golden caster sugar (A)
50g .................................. Golden caster sugar (B)
175g ............................... Cake flour
1/2 tsp ........................... Baking powder
100ml ............................ Water
1/2 tsp ........................... Salt
1tsp ................................ Vanilla bean paste
Caramel whipped cream
75 g ................................ Sugar
1 tsp ............................ Water
2 cups ............................ Whipping cream

1 tsp ............................... Vanilla extract

......................................... Basic caramel sauce
6 ...................................... Medium size bananas, 4 for filling, 2 for topping 
......................................... Superfine sugar for making caramelised banana

Preheat the oven to 170°C
Line 20 cm cake pan with baking paper.
Sift cake flour with baking powder, set aside.

 Beat the egg yolks with golden caster sugar (A) until light, add salt and vanilla bean paste pour the oil and water into the bowl and mix until combine.

Pour the flour mixture into the bowl mix until combine.

   Whip the egg white egg white until frothy, slowly add the golden caster sugar (B) and whip until stiff peaks formed.
Fold into the batter in 2 or 3 additions until combine.
Pour into the prepared pan, tap it gently 2-3 time to remove large air pockets and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the top spring back when press lightly.
Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

Make Caramel whipped cream

While the cup cakes are baking, prepare the caramel whipped cream. Combine the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan and stir well to mix. Put ¼ cup of the cream in a second small saucepan (or put in the microwave proved measuring cup). Place the first pan on medium heat and cook undisturbed until the sugar begins to melt and caramelise-you’ll see a few wisps of smoke coming out of the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally so that the sugar melts and caramelises evenly. Remove it from the heat when the caramel is still very pale (the sugar will continue to darken off the heat). Slide the pan with the cream onto the burner. As soon as the cream has some bubbles around the edge (if using microwave put the cup in the microwave and heat for 1 minutes), add it to the caramel at arm’s length, averting your face—the caramel will boil up and may splatter out of the pan. Pour the diluted caramel into a medium bowl and cool it to room temperature.

Stir in the remaining 1¾ cups cream and the vanilla and chill until you are ready to finish the cake (this can be made the day before).

Assemble:

 Whip the caramel whipped cream until soft peaks formed.

 Slice cake into 3 layers.
Place 1 layer in the cake ring (it's easier to use cake ring ^^), drizzle with basic caramel sauce, then spread the caramel cream over the caramel sauce, place the banana slices on the caramel cream and spread the caramel cream on top. Place another layer on top and repeat the process, then finish with another layer of cake. Press slightly, and spread thin layer of caramel cream on top then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove cake ring and spread the rest of the caramel cream on top and side of the cake, refrigerate while you make the caramelised banana.

Cut the bananas into small rounds, sprinkle the superfine sugar on top, then use blowtorch to burn the top and side of the banana slices.
Decorate the cake with caramelised banana and drizzle caramel sauce on top, refrigerate until ready to serve.

Banana Caramel Shortcake: Banana, I love you ^^