Sunset Grill Chocolate Bananas Foster Cake with Orange Foster Caramel Sauce

Source: Chef Will Greenwood - Sunset Grill, Nashville, Tennessee

Mousse-filled cake bombes are glazed with ganache and served with orange-foster caramel sauce and a banana-topped puff-pastry crisp. The rich chocolate cake is cut open to reveal its banana mousse filling. The orange flavor that brightens the dessert comes from the Grand Marnier sprinkled on the cakes and in the sauce.

Serves 8

Chocolate Banana Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs

Mousse
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatine
1/3 cup banana rum
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Chocolate Ganache
1/3 cup heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate pieces

Orange Foster Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons butter

Assembly
2 sheets puff pastry
2 whole bananas, sliced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Grand Marnier
3 cups vanilla ice cream
Zest of 1 orange
8 fresh mint sprigs

To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust lightly with flour, tapping out the excess.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and cocoa. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients and blend well. Spoon the batter onto the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula and bake about 20 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan, set on a wire rack, for 10 minutes. When the cake is cooled, cut enough rounds to cover the bottom, sides and tops of four individual 6-inch round molds. The cake can be made up to 3 days ahead; if baked ahead, store, covered loosely in plastic wrap, in a cool dry place until time to use.

To make the banana mousse: In a small bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the banana rum and let rest for 5 minutes. Place this mixture over hot water in the top of a double boiler and heat until it melts.

In the bowl of a food processor, pur