When it comes to sweet marriages, banana and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Take a fragrant, familiar, moist banana cake and update it with a double whammy of chocolate -- dark chocolate both in and on the cake that has been smoothed with a white chocolate icing. For taste, this is simply the ultimate banana cake. For looks, it's spectacular and professional -- the crowning touch to any meal.

Ingredients
4 bananas, sliced
Melted chocolate (about 1 oz/30 g)

Cake:
3/4 (175 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (125 mL) sour cream
3 cups (750 mL) sifted cake-and-pastry flour
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking soda
4 oz (125 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) mashed bananas

White Chocolate Icing:
3 cups (750 mL) whipping cream
10 oz (300 g) white chocolate, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
4 oz (125 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
See page 2 for step-by-step directions with images.

1. Cake: In bowl, cream butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in sour cream. Combine flour, baking soda, and chocolate; add in 3 additions to creamed mixture alternately with 2 additions of bananas, mixing just until flour is incorporated. Spoon into 2 greased 8-1/2-inch (2.25 L) springform pans, smoothing tops.

2. Bake in 350F (180C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until top springs back when touched. Let cool on rack for 20 minutes. Remove sides of pans; let cool completely.

White Chocolate Icing: In saucepan, bring half of the cream to boil; pour over chocolate in bowl, whisking until melted. Add vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled, 1 hour, whisking often.

3. On medium speed, beat chocolate mixture just until ridges hold shape. Beat remaining cream just until soft peaks form; gently fold into cake mixture. With serrated knife, slice cakes in half horizontally. Place a top layer, cut side up, on plate. Spread top with 3/4 cup (175 mL) icing; cover with single layer of bananas, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) border. Cover with 1 bottom cake layer, cut side down; repeat with icing and bananas.

4. Repeat with remaining top layer, cut side up, and some of the icing and bananas. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down.

5. Using palette knife, cover cake smoothly with remaining icing. Refrigerate until firm, about 1-1/2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Ganache: Meanwhile, bring cream to boil; our over chocolate in small bowl, whisking until melted. Let cool for 20 minutes or until room temperature and still pourable.

6. Pour over centre of cake, spreading to edge with clean palette knife, if necessary, and letting some flow down sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 40 minutes, or up to one day. To serve, drizzle melted chocolate with fork over remaining bananas; let set. Arrange on cake. Slice with serrated knife.

Makes 14 to 16 servings.

Test Kitchen tips:
To protect the plate from icing, slip stripes of waxed paper under the bottom cake layer and remove them before pouring the ganache over top.

To ensure a smooth finish to the icing, wipe the palette knife with a damp cloth often.

If ganache becomes too firm, gently re-warm over hot, not boiling, water until pourable.