A Birthday Treat: Banana Bread with Cheesecake Topping

Banana bread is having a moment. The cake-like bread made of mashed bananas has shaken off its somewhat dull reputation, becoming super hip—it's now considered common knowledge that banana bread goes well with a turmeric latte or a matcha latte. 

 

But nothing quite beats banana bread combined with cheesecake. This recipe uses an irresistible combo: a banana bread cake topped with cheesecake and swirled with homemade salted caramel sauce. Enjoy! 

 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Cooling time: 30 minutes

Hardening time: 2 hours (3,5 hours)

 

 

Ingredients for a round banana bread ‘pie’ of 20 cm in diameter

  • 3 overripe bananas, in slices (the blacker the bananas, the sweeter their taste)
  • 2 levelled tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 150 g sugar
  • Half a sachet of baking powder (about 1/2 tbsp)
  • 125 ml sunflower oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g (whole-wheat) flour
  • 75 g roughly chopped walnuts

 

Additional equipment

  • Round cake pan (20 cm in diameter)
  • Baking paper to put in the cake pan
  • Whisk mixer

 

How to prepare the banana bread pie

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 150C

  2. Cut the bananas into slices and put them in a bowl. Add the cinnamon, sugar, salt and baking powder and mash together.

  3. Add the sunflower oil and the eggs, stir well, and then add some flour. It’s best to blend the mixture with a whisk mixer until smooth and creamy. It’s perfectly okay if there are still some small pieces of banana in the bowl.

  4. Roughly chop the walnuts, add them to the mixture and stir.

  5. Cover the base of the cake pan with baking paper, and pour the cake mixture into the pan. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and set your timer for 30 minutes. Make sure you check on your cake every now and then, because all ovens are different!

  6. When the bread has cooled, slice off its rounded top to create a flat surface for the cheesecake topping. Place back in the cake pan.

 

 

Ingredients for the cheesecake topping

  • 600 g Philadelphia of Monchou cheese
  • 130 g sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 sachets (12 g) of gelatine powder
  • 180 ml whole milk

 

How to prepare the cheesecake topping

  1. Warm the milk in a saucepan and add the gelatine powder and stir well with a whisk. Don’t bring to boil, but make sure that the gelatine dissolves well.

  2. Blend the mixture with the cream cheese (which should be on room temperature), add the vanilla extract and the sugar, and mix until smooth.

  3. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the banana bread, as it is still in the cake pan. Cover with foil and let harden in the fridge.

 

Tip: You can simultaneously prepare the salted caramel sauce!

 

 

Ingredients for the salted caramel sauce

  • 250 g light brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 125 ml (whipped) cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

How to prepare the caramel sauce

  1. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan on low heat, and let simmer for approximately 6 minutes while stirring.

  2. Pour the caramel sauce over the pie in long drizzles, and enjoy!

 

 

Mirjam Leslie-Pringle

Mirjam Leslie-Pringle is a food expert, photographer and owner of the popular vegetarian recipe blog veggieverymuch.com. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Mirjam left Amsterdam three years ago with her family to start a new adventure on the island of Ibiza. Together with her husband, three kids, four horses, three dogs and a cat, Mirjam’s days are filled with work, fun, and of course, healthy and delicious food.