Banana Split Crepe Cake

Instructions

MAKE THE BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE:

1. Add the cream, Nectevia, Fructevia, molasses, and butter to a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
2. Turn heat down to medium and boil for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is deep brown and thick enough to coat a spoon. If you run your finger across a wooden spoon or rubber spatula that's been dipped into the butterscotch sauce, the sauce should be thick enough to hold the line. Remove from heat.
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, add the salt, vanilla, rum, and lemon juice. Stir to mx and then stir into butterscotch sauce until blended. Cover and refrigerate until completely cool.

MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM:

1. In a small dish, stir the gelatin and water together to combine. There should be just enough water to moisten the gelatin, creating a thick paste. Set aside.
2. Add milk, cream, Fructevia, salt, egg yolks, and cornstarch to a large heavy bottomed saucepan and whisk vigorously to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, at which point the mixture will have thickened to the point that the whisk will leave tracks as you stir. Remove from the heat and whisk vigorously for 30 seconds longer. Pour into a bowl.
3. Break the gelatin into small pieces, dropping them into the hot pastry cream. Whisk until the gelatin is completely incorporated, about 20 seconds. Whisk in vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap over the surface of the pastry cream, and punch a few holes in the surface of the wrap with a sharp knife. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours.
4. Once cool add all of the butterscotch sauce to the pastry cream - except ¼ cup. (Reserve ¼ cup butterscotch sauce, covered in the refrigerator, for drizzling over the top of the cake.)
5. Using an electric mixer, whip the butterscotch sauce into the pastry cream for about 20 seconds, until completely blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.

MAKE THE CREPES:

1. Add the flour, salt and Fructevia to a bowl and whisk to combine. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, and vanilla together to combine.
2. Add half of the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and whisk vigorously with wire whisk until batter is smooth. Whisk remaining flour in to the batter just until blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 min.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave in a small bowl. Stir into batter.
4. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 minutes and brush very lightly with vegetable oil. Using a ½ cup measure, pour batter into the center of the hot pan and quickly swirl the batter in the pan so that it stretches out into a circle that touches the edges of the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the edges of the crepe are set and the center of the crepe is semi-set. Flip the crepe over and cook for 5 - 10 seconds, just until set and lightly browned. Flip the crepe out onto a wire rack to cool. Continue until all the batter has been used. You should have between 16-20 crepes. (*The cake only requires 15 crepes, so if you have one or two tear or burn, you'll still end up with at least 15 crepes.)

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

1. Add the chocolate to a medium size bowl.
2. Heat the cream over medium high heat just until it barely begins to boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the chocolate and cream until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is blended and smooth. Stir in the Frangelico, if using.
4. Let cool, stirring occasionally, until it's thickened to a spreadable consistency, similar to Nutella.

ASSEMBLE THE CREPE CAKE:

1. Lay one crepe in the center of a plate, cake stand, or serving dish. Spread the crepe with a generous ⅓ cup pastry cream, spreading the cream out into an even layer to within ¼ inch of the edge of the crepe.
2. Lay another crepe over the pastry cream and spread with another generous ⅓ cup pastry cream. Lay approximately 30 banana slices over the pastry cream in an even layer so that they are laying edge to edge, but not overlapping.
3. Top bananas with another crepe and spread it with a generous ¼ cup chocolate ganache in an even layer that comes to within a ¼ inch of the edges of the crepe.
4. Repeat steps 1-3, using a total of 15 crepes, alternating between a layer of pastry cream, a layer of pastry cream and sliced bananas, and a layer of chocolate ganache.
5. Using a sharp serrated knife, trim the around the edges of the cake to create straight sides. Use your hands to pat around the sides of the cake, smoothing the edges as much as possible to make it easier to frost.
6. Frost the cake with the remaining chocolate ganache.
7. Warm the reserved butterscotch sauce slightly in the microwave - about 15 to 20 seconds. Drizzle the sauce over the frosted cake.
8. Top the cake with candied peanuts (recipe follows), roasted salted peanuts or honey roasted peanuts and a few maraschino cherries, if desired.
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve.