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Easy and Delicious Banana Split Cake

I have the perfect July 4th recipe for you this week: Easy and Delicious Banana Split Cake!  I went live on Facebook Wednesday evening to show how simple this picnic/party dessert is to put together, and I’m really hoping that some of you try it for the 4th.

We’ve been making Banana Split Cake in my family since I was about 13 or14 years old – of course, back in the stone ages we didn’t have a stand mixer like I do now, and the filling needed to be whipped for twenty minutes!  Yes, that’s not a typo, twenty minutes. This, of course, meant that while we loved (and I do mean LOVED) this cake, we didn’t make it terribly often, and when we did, it was a family affair and we took turns with the mixer.

Banana Split Cake, Bake With Rho, Tampa Florida

SO Delicious!

Now that practically everyone and their brother (although not my brother) has a stand mixer, this cake is ready for the masses!  It’s much easier to make and I did the entire thing live in about 30 minutes.  That’s right, from the first measuring cup of graham crackers to placing it in the fridge – 30 tiny minutes!

This recipe has been in our family for about 40 years but this was the first time I’d had it in about 25 – It’s as good as I remember, and if the ladies at Laura’s Beads have anything to say about it, I’ll be making it again soon!  It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!

Try it – you’ll love it!  I’ve embedded the live video below if you’d like to see it step by step.

Print Recipe
 Easy and Delicious Banana Split Cake
Banana Split Cake, Bake With Rho, Tampa Florida
Servings
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
  • 1 1/4 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter melted
Filling
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter room temp
  • 2 ea. Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla I used vanilla bean paste
  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Other ingredients
  • 1 Can Crushed Pineapple large can, drained
  • 3 ea. Bananas cut in about 1/4" slices
  • 1 Container Cool Whip large container
  • 2 oz. Chopped Walnuts
  • Maraschino Cherries for garnish, if desired
Servings
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
  • 1 1/4 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter melted
Filling
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter room temp
  • 2 ea. Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla I used vanilla bean paste
  • 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Other ingredients
  • 1 Can Crushed Pineapple large can, drained
  • 3 ea. Bananas cut in about 1/4" slices
  • 1 Container Cool Whip large container
  • 2 oz. Chopped Walnuts
  • Maraschino Cherries for garnish, if desired
Banana Split Cake, Bake With Rho, Tampa Florida
Instructions
Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees - you'll need it to bake the graham cracker crust.
Graham Cracker Crust
  1. Melt 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave - 30 seconds should do it.
  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Mix with a fork until a sandy consistency.
  3. Pour into a 9x13 pan and spread evenly. Pat down gently with your hand (gloved, or impeccably clean) and then use the bottom of a heavy spatula to press tightly and evenly.
  4. Bake for 7 minutes and cool completely before adding the filling. (I let mine cool for 5 minutes on the counter and then pop in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
Prepare the Filling
  1. In the bowl of a your stand mixer (I use a Kitchenaid), add the butter, eggs, and vanilla - beat on low for a few minutes to incorporate slightly.
  2. Add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low until incorporated.
  3. Scrape the sides of the bowl and turn up to medium for a minute or two.
  4. Scrape down again and mix on high for 6-8 minutes, until there is plenty of air incorporated and the filling becomes lighter in volume.
  5. Spread evenly over the graham cracker crust.
Remaining Layers
  1. Spread the crushed pinapple evenly over the filling.
  2. Slice the bananas and layer them over the pinapple.
  3. Spread a generous amount of the Cool Whip over the banana layer (I used almost the entire container), making sure to take it right up to the edges of the pan.
  4. Sprinkle the walnuts on the top.
  5. Cover tightly and refridgerate overnight.
  6. Add cherries before serving, if desired.
Recipe Notes
  • You can make this without a stand mixer, but you must whip the filling for a full 20 minutes.
  • Don't bother tasting the filling when it is done - it's very sweet.  It's the addition of the other ingredients that brings out the flavor of this dessert - it truly is the sum of it's parts!
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German Chocolate Cake Cookies – They’re Amazeballs!

We went live this week with the recipe for German Chocolate Cake Cookies – And it’s true – they are amazeballs.

They have a few steps, but they are so worth the time because your friends and family are going to absolutely love them!  We didn’t have any issues with the live presentation, really – just the timing of the steps!  For a great cookie for those with nut allergies, simply remove the filling and you have a crunch, sweet, milk chocolate cookie – those are every bit as good, I promise you!

I talk about the history behind the recipe on the Facebook LIVE video (which I’ve embedded below), and this is a cookie I’ve been making for friends and family for years now.  I promised to post this yesterday, but the day got away from me, so this morning it was the first thing on my to-do list!

You should absolutely give these a try and let me know how they turn out for you – I’d love to hear from you, if not here, then on the Facebook page!

 

 

 

Print Recipe
 German Chocolate Cake Cookies - They're Amazeballs!
German Chocolate Cake Cookies, Bake With Rho, Tampa Florida
Cook Time 11 Minutes
Servings
Dozen
Ingredients
Coconut Pecan Filling
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar Pack into measuring cup
  • 3/4 Cup Coconut Pack into measuring cup
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter Chilled, 1/2 stick
  • 2 ea. Egg Yolks Whipped thoroughly
Cookie Dough
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter 2 sticks
  • 6 oz Milk Chocolate Melted
  • 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2 ea. Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla I use vanilla bean paste
  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 1/2 teas Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teas Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teas Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar For rolling the cookies
Cook Time 11 Minutes
Servings
Dozen
Ingredients
Coconut Pecan Filling
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar Pack into measuring cup
  • 3/4 Cup Coconut Pack into measuring cup
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
  • 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter Chilled, 1/2 stick
  • 2 ea. Egg Yolks Whipped thoroughly
Cookie Dough
  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter 2 sticks
  • 6 oz Milk Chocolate Melted
  • 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
  • 2 ea. Eggs
  • 2 tsp Vanilla I use vanilla bean paste
  • 3 Cups Flour
  • 1/2 teas Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teas Baking Soda
  • 1/2 teas Salt
  • 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar For rolling the cookies
German Chocolate Cake Cookies, Bake With Rho, Tampa Florida
Instructions
Preparation & Tools
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Nice to have: 1. Food Processor 2. Stand Mixer 3. Standard Cookie Scoop
Coconut Pecan Filling
  1. Make this first!
  2. Combine the sugar and coconut in the food processor and combine until the coconut is in small pieces.
  3. Add the chopped pecans - cut the butter into 4 pieces and process until the butter is in small bits.
  4. Separate the yolks and whip throroughly with a fork, add to the food processor and process until completely incorporated.
  5. Form the mixture into 1/2 teas. sized balls and arrange on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in the fridge until ready for use.
Cookie Dough
  1. Heat the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second bursts until it is just melted. Be very careful not to burn the chocolate! Set it aside to cool slightly.
  2. Mix the sugar, butter and eggs on medium speed until creamy.
  3. Add the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix on medium for another 30 seconds or so.
  4. Add the flour, one cup at a time, until throroughly incorporated.
Assembly
  1. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to a small bowl, and get a flat bottomed glass.
  2. Pull the pecan filling from the fridge.
  3. Scoop out 12 balls of cookie dough.
  4. One at a time, flatten the ball of dough slightly, place one of the filling pieces in the center and wrap the dough around it to cover.
  5. Roll the cookie ball in your hand until it is shaped nicely, roll it in the granulated sugar, and place it on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  6. Repeat with all 12 balls of cookie dough, then take the flat bottomed glass and smoosh (technical term!) them slightly to shape them.
  7. Place in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes (it's 11 in mine).
  8. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes and move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Recipe Notes
  • I use latex gloves for a lot of the food handling in this recipe.  It's more sanitary, but it also feels a lot less "icky" on your hands!
  • I prep all my cookies before I start baking - so I have about 5 cookie sheets filled with cookies ready to go in the oven.  That way I don't have to stop the messy work of forming the cookies every time a batch is ready to come out.
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Macarons – Using the French Method

Last week we made Macarons using the French Method.  I’ve been making macs for about 3 years now, and I’ve been grateful that they have always turned out well.  A girl can only get so far on a wing and a prayer though, so I headed over to Sur la Table late in June for a real, live, macaron class.

To say the class was life-changing would be an exaggeration, but man, it was definitely nice to be able to actually see and feel the consistencies of the merengue and batter live and in person.  I love baking and decorating classes and this one was no exception!

I also went LIVE on Facebook last week to demonstrate, and it was an early Saturday/Sunday morning kind of thing – that means I was rushing to go live for my small band of dedicated followers and therefore am resplendent in all of my no-makeup glory.  The macarons are what matter though, right?   RIGHT?!

Regardless of your perceived skill, regardless of whether you have make-up on, you should definitely give Macarons a try.  They are such glorious little rounds of deliciousness!

Before I get to the videos, if you want to try some of the Amoretti Blood Orange, just click the link to head over to their site and pick some up!  I don’t get paid by Amoretti, I just love this stuff 😉

Here’s a video how the batter should look

Yeah, that video is HUGE in size – hah!  Well, at least you can see exactly what I’m talking about!

Making the Macaron Shells

Filling the Macarons

Print Recipe
 Macarons - French Method
Delicious Macarons
Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 14 Minutes
Passive Time 1.5 Hours
Servings
Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
  • 7 Oz Powdered Sugar
  • 4 Oz Almond Flour Ground Fine
  • 4 Oz Egg Whites Aged (by weight)
  • 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 3.5 Oz Granulated Sugar
Blood Orange Ganache
  • 4 oz Dark Chocolate Good Quality, Finely Chopped
  • 4 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Blood Orange Paste Amoreti Brand
Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 14 Minutes
Passive Time 1.5 Hours
Servings
Macarons
Ingredients
Macaron Shells
  • 7 Oz Powdered Sugar
  • 4 Oz Almond Flour Ground Fine
  • 4 Oz Egg Whites Aged (by weight)
  • 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 3.5 Oz Granulated Sugar
Blood Orange Ganache
  • 4 oz Dark Chocolate Good Quality, Finely Chopped
  • 4 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 1 tbsp Blood Orange Paste Amoreti Brand
Delicious Macarons
Instructions
  1. Pulse almond flour and powdered sugar in a food processor to remove any lumps. Set aside.
  2. Put egg whites and cream of tartar in stand mixer and whip on #4 until frothy.
  3. Rain the sugar in a slow steady stream while continuing to whip, change speed to 6 after all sugar is added.
  4. Sift flour and almond mixture 3 times to ensure that all lumps are removed.
  5. When merengue is at the stiff peak stage, turn off mixer and remove bowl. Clean off whisk to get all of the merengue into the bowl.
  6. Add one half of the dry ingredients to the merengue and fold until combined.
  7. Add remaining dry ingredients to the mixture and fold gently until the mixture reaches a lava-like consistency. What you're looking for is a mixture where the batter will fall back in on itself when drizzled from a spatula.
  8. Pipe the macarons onto a cookie sheet covered with a silicon mat or parchment. I use a #12 tip for this.
  9. Tap the cookie sheets on the counter several times until the tops of the macarons are smooth and there are no air bubbles.
  10. Rest the macarons until the tops get a thin skin on them and they are no longer shiny (this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour, depending on your humidity)
  11. Place the Macarons (only 1 sheet at at time!) in a pre-heated 300 degree oven on the middle rack.
  12. Back for about 14 minutes, turning the macs halfway through. Note, this time can vary depending on your oven temp, humidity and all kinds of factors - you may need to experiment!
  13. Cool on the cookie sheets - if the Macarons are baked properly, they should pop right off the sheets when they are cool.
  14. Fill each pair of shells with your choice of filling.
Blood Orange Ganache
  1. Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl.
  2. Heat the cream to just before boiling (it should be steaming) and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for about 2 minutes.
  3. Whisk the chocolate and cream until melted and smooth.
  4. Add the butter and whisk to combine.
  5. Add blood orange paste and whisk to combine.
  6. Let the ganache set until it has reached a piping consistency. Similar to buttercream.
Recipe Notes
  1. This is simply one method of making Macarons.  There are 3 more methods that we'll be trying in coming weeks - Swiss, Italian, and Broma.
  2. Getting your batter to the correct consistency takes practice!  I've been making these on and off for about 3 years, and I finally believe I've gotten it right -
  3. Macarons are finicky.  If they're not right the very first time you make them, don't despair!  Chances are they'll still taste good, so eat them!  Once you're totally buzzed on the sugar, try again 🙂
  4. If you want colored macarons, add the coloring (gel or powder only) to the egg whites when they're at soft peak stage.
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Light & Fluffy Swiss Merengue Buttercream

How do I love thee, Swiss Merengue Buttercream?  Swiss Merengue Buttercream (SMBC) is one of my absolute favorite coverings for a cake.  I’ve never been a frosting girl, it’s too sweet to me, and I’m more into salty snacks (hence my undying love and desire for salted caramel, but I digress).

Ana and I whip up some Swiss Merengue Buttercream in the video below, and hopefully show how easy and un-intimidating it is to get this light, silky, not-too-sweet confection to your home kitchens!  Honestly, once most people experience it, they don’t want anything else!  (Which is unfortunate, because American Buttercream has it’s uses, and we’ll explore those later!)

I have some very specific tools and ingredients that I use when making SMBC, and for your convenience, I’m going to link them here:

  1. A great flavoring, like Nielsen-Massey Pure Vanilla Bean Paste.  Granted, in this video, I used Pure Almond Extract, but those gorgeous vanilla beans are just amazing to behold!
  2. A good whisk (This one by Oxo is my favorite, and I have a LOT of whisks)
  3. A high-quality instant-read thermometer (an old-school candy thermometer is also useful, of course I have both!)

Take a look at the video below and give SMBC a try!  If it’s your first time, it’s life-changing!  Be sure to post your questions either here or on Facebook – Share your creations with us, we want to see what you’re doing!

 

Print Recipe
 Swiss Merengue Buttercream
Light and Fluffy Swiss Merengue Buttercream - Bake with Rho
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 8 ea. Egg Whites Room Temp!
  • 3 Cup Unsalted Butter Room Temp, cut into chunks
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar Sifted
  • 2 TBSP Vanilla Any flavoring works - I used Pure Almond in the video
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 8 ea. Egg Whites Room Temp!
  • 3 Cup Unsalted Butter Room Temp, cut into chunks
  • 1 Cup Powdered Sugar Sifted
  • 2 TBSP Vanilla Any flavoring works - I used Pure Almond in the video
Light and Fluffy Swiss Merengue Buttercream - Bake with Rho
Instructions
  1. Start the water for the double boiler - you want it simmering when you've combined the eggs and sugar.
  2. Separate 8 eggs - Make sure that there are absolutely no yolks in the whites or they won't whip properly.
  3. Add the eggs and the 1 cup of granulated sugar to a heat-proof bowl. Typically, I just use the bowl from my stand mixer. Whisk to combine.
  4. Place over the simmering water, creating a double boiler, and whisk constantly until the temperature of the mixture reaches 160 degrees.
  5. Remove from heat. Put the bowl back on the stand mixer, or pour the mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer, and whip (using the whisk attachment) on high for 7 to 10 minutes. The mixture should be cooled completely and should be at stiff peak consistency. Feel the bowl, if it has any heat at all, it's not done.
    This is how a stiff peak looks!
  6. Switch out the whisk for a paddle attachment and begin to add the butter, one chunk at a time. Keep the mixer on medium speed for this (about #4 on KitchenAid). Remember, this will start looking really ugly. Be patient! it will all come together and start looking more like you would expect after about 2/3 of the butter is added. Scrape down the sides occasionally, but especially at the end!
  7. After all the butter has been added, slowly drizzle in the flavoring. If you get spatter, turn the mixer down to stir. Once the flavoring appears to be incorporated scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  8. Add the powdered sugar and stir until it is mostly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and slowly begin increasing the speed of the mixer until you're back at medium-high to high (8-10 on a KitchenAid)
  9. I typically beat the frosting on high for about 5 minutes after it's all put together.
Recipe Notes
    • You can save your egg yolks for other things like custards and curds.  I don't make those things enough to make it worth it, but you may!
    • Make sure your butter is truly room temperature - Not too soft!  if it squishes easily then it's probably too warm.  Take a look at the image below.  It should be soft enough to easily leave an impression but not "melty".

This is what room temperature butter should look like!

This is what room temperature butter should look like!

  • This is just enough for a 4 layer, 8" cake if you are covering only in Buttercream and if you use a different filling, such as fruit.  I prefer to make a 1.5 or a double batch.  If I have extra, I freeze it for cake pops or cupcakes later.  Nothing panics me more than the thought of running out of buttercream while frosting a cake!