Banana Bread Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

Banana bread with brown butter

• Cooking spray to spray the pan
• 110 g unsalted butter
• 1 and 3/4 cups premium flour
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 soft, very ripe medium bananas with dark spots (overripe), mashed
• 0.5 cups toasted chopped pecans

Caramel sauce with bananas

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 ripe medium bananas, thinly sliced

Assembly

• 3 cups pecan ice cream
• 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9x5 inch (22x12 cm) loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Banana bread:
   
   In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter darkens, 6–9 minutes. Immediately transfer to a medium bowl and let cool slightly.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Combine the brown sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs in the bowl with the brown butter until smooth, then fold in the mashed bananas. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the bananas until smooth (it's okay if there are a few lumps).
4. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and tap the pan on the counter to distribute the batter evenly. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove it to a wire rack to cool completely. Wash and dry the pan. Set aside for serving.
5. Caramel sauce with bananas:
   
   Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar turns a deep amber color, 10–12 minutes. Stirring gently (as the mixture will begin to splatter at this point), slowly pour in the heavy cream until smooth. Stir in the butter and sliced ​​bananas. Transfer the sauce to a large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
6. Assembly:
   
   To assemble, line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving at least a 10 cm overhang on both long sides. Carefully cut the cooled banana bread horizontally with a serrated knife into 3 equal layers. Place the bottom layer in the bottom of the loaf pan, then top with an even layer of 1.5 cups of ice cream. Spoon on about 1/3 cup of caramel sauce, then sprinkle with half of the nuts.
7. Place the middle banana bread layer on top of the nuts, then top with the remaining ice cream, add another 1/3 cup of caramel sauce, and the remaining nuts. Place the top banana bread layer on top, pressing gently to adhere all layers together. Cover with plastic wrap.
8. Freeze until completely set, at least 6 hours or overnight. Refrigerate any remaining caramel sauce until ready to serve.
9. Before serving, remove the cake from the pan by pulling the plastic wrap. Run hot water under the bottom of the pan if the cake is difficult to remove. Microwave the remaining caramel sauce in 20-second intervals, stirring occasionally, until lukewarm, about 1 minute. Slice the ice cream cake into 1-inch-thick slices and drizzle with warm caramel sauce.