Banana chocolate cake

The original recipe (to which I made some minor changes) came from my friend Melina from Sarajevo, but credit also goes to my brother who had to travel through a war zone to retrieve it.

Ingredients
200 g dark chocolate
250 g butter
5 flat tablespoons crushed (icing) sugar
300 ml whipping cream
4 egg whites
60 lady fingers (some call them boudoir fingers)
2-3 bananas

Directions
Break the chocolate in small pieces. Melt the chocolate and the butter together. The traditional way is to put them in a pot and then immerse the pot in hot water until they melt. This is called something like "bain maree", which is french for "painful procedure", so I'd recommend melting them in the microwave instead. Just use short bursts to slowly heat the chocolate, so it doesn't burn. Also, it might be better if you put the chocolate in first, because the butter melts much faster. You can then mix in the sugar and put it aside to cool down a bit while you prepare the rest.

Next step is to whip the cream and beat the egg whites separately. For best results, the cream and bowl should be cold, while the eggs should be around room temperature. So, whip the cream in one bowl and then beat the egg whites in a different bowl. You should beat the eggs until they form a thick white foam (kinda like shaving foam).

In a large bowl mix the whipped cream in the chocolate mix. Then slowly mix in the eggs. Use a large spoon and go around the edge (a mixer or rough stirring will destroy the foamy character of the egg whites) until you have a homogeneous mixture. Usually, this is a bit thick, so I add a little fresh cream(just a little) to make it a bit runny. This makes it easier to pour in the form and makes the cake creamier. Optionally, you can add a few drops of vanilla essence and/or very little mixed spice.

Now spread a thin layer of the chocolate mix on the form you are using for the cake and put a layer of lady fingers on that.



Add a layer of banana slices and pour chocolate mix on top to cover. Add another layer of lady fingers and cover with chocolate mix again.

You are almost done. Cover the form with plastic wrap and leave in the refridgerator overnight. Before serving, you can decorate with some banana slices.