Banana Cream Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 10 tbsp salted butter, melted
• 3 tbsp sugar

Cheesecake Filling:

• 24 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 4 tsp banana extract
• 1 cup pureed banana (2 medium-sized bananas)
• 3 large eggs, room temperature

Bavarian Cream:

• 1 tsp powdered gelatin
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp banana extract
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 5 tbsp powdered sugar

Whipped Cream Topping:

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Fresh sliced bananas

Instructions:

1. Crust: Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Mix crust ingredients, press into a springform pan, and bake for 10 minutes.
2. Cheesecake: Reduce oven to 300°F (149°C). Mix cream cheese, sugar, flour, sour cream, and banana extract. Add pureed bananas and eggs. Pour into crust and bake in a water bath for 1 hour 30 minutes.
3. Bavarian Cream: Sprinkle gelatin over milk. Whisk egg yolks. Heat cream and sugar, then temper into yolks. Cook until thick, add gelatin, then cool. Whip cream and sugar, fold into custard, and spread over cooled cheesecake.
4. Topping: Whip cream, sugar, and vanilla. Decorate cheesecake with whipped cream and banana slices.

Enjoy!