HONEY & BANANA CHEESECAKE WITH BANANA HONEYCOMB

SERVES 8-10

Begin this recipe at least 4 hours ahead. You will need a sugar thermometer.

500g cream cheese, chopped, softened 350g fresh ricotta 250g good-quality mascarpone 1 tbs cornflour 200g runny honey 3 (about 300g) ripe bananas, mashed 3 tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs, lightly beaten 200ml creme fraiche, lightly whipped

PASTRY

1 cup (150g) plain flour

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar 75g unsalted butter, chopped, softened

BANANA HONEYCOMB

1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar 150ml runny honey

1/2 tsp bicarb soda 50g finely chopped banana chips

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22cm springform cake pan.

For the pastry, place butter, caster sugar, flour and 2 tsp cold water in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until mixture comes together.

Press evenly into base of prepared pan and smooth using the back of a spoon. Place on a tray in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven to 160°C.

Clean mixer and add cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Add ricotta, mascarpone, cornflour, honey, banana and vanilla, and beat to combine. Beat in eggs until smooth and combined. Pour over pastry base and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until set with a gentle wobble in the centre. Turn off oven and cool completely in oven, then chill for 4 hours or until cold.

For the honeycomb, grease a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan and line with baking paper. Place sugar, honey and 2 tbs water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes or until deep golden and it reaches 154°C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from heat and allow bubbles to subside. Working quickly, add bicarb, whisking to combine (honeycomb will foam). Then whisk in the banana chips. Quickly pour into prepared pan and scatter with 1/2 tsp salt flakes. Set aside to cool completely. When ready to serve, remove honeycomb from pan, finely chop.

Spread creme fraiche over cake. Scatter honeycomb over the cake and serve.