This is no ordinary banana cake- in fact, this cake is "off the charts" in flavors! Chai tea is one of my favorites, and I like to incorporate it into cakes because of the wonderful combination of spices. It pairs so well with the moist and rich banana! Dulche de Leche is out of this world!! It is a very rich caramel that is popular in South America and Mexico, made from cooking sweetened condensed milk in a water bath, (right in the can), for several hours. This torte is well balanced with the spices of Chai, boasting banana flavor, and decadently laced with layers of sweet and creamy Dulche de Leche frosting, and a tart Greek Yogurt chocolate ganache! This cake is a bit more time-consuming to put together, but not difficult to make, and so worth the effort! Whether you make this for a birthday cake, special occasion, or to impress someone special, you'll definitely want to add this to your recipe collection for future use!
***Note: if you can't find Dulche de Leche in your local store, make your own the day before, following the instructions below!

Yield: 4-layer 8 in. Torte (Serves 8-12 people)

**To make your own Dulche de Leche:
1- 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

1) In a small pot, place the can of condensed milk, (with label removed, and puncture a hole in the top of can to relieve pressure). Fill with water half way up the can. Place on low to medium heat. ***The cooking process will take at least 4 hours!! Please be sure to check the water level every 20min. or so, and add more as needed. The condensed milk will leak out of the punctured hole- which is normal. You will know that the caramel is done when the color changes to a rich light brown. Remove from heat. Using a pair of tongs, remove the can from the pan. Allow to cool to room temp., and then place in refrigerator.

Banana Chai Cake: (Yields 2- 8inch cakes)2 sticks of unsalted butter (room temp.)
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 large very ripe bananas
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground ginger
1 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground anise
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 t. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups of cake flour
2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt

***Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease & flour 2- 8in. cake pans.
1) In a separate bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt.
2) In a medium mixing bowl, (or stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat the butter and sugars until nice and fluffy, (make sure to scrape down the bowl between adding ingredients!)
3) Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Then add the bananas, yogurt, and spices.
4) Slowly add in the sifted dry ingredients, and mix just until combined. Divide batter between the 2 prepared pans.
5) Bake at 350F for 40-45min, or until tester comes out clean. Remove, and cool for about 10min. Then, flip out your cakes unto a cooling rack.

Dulche de Leche Frosting:1- 14oz. can of Dulche de Leche1- 8oz. package of cream cheese (room temp.)1 stick of unsalted butter (room temp.)
1) In a mixing bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter, until nice an fluffy. (Make sure to scrape down the bowl.) Add in the Dulche de Leche, and mix just until combined. Remove from mixer, and either set aside, or can refrigerate until ready to use.

****Cake Assembly: Begin to prep the cakes by trimming off tops to level out, trim sides if necessary, and place the bottom layer on a 10in. cake board or plate. Greek Yogurt ganache sets up fast, so you need to be ready to work quickly! Place the Dulche de Leche frosting on top of bottom layer of cake. Then, place another layer of banana cake on top. **Make the ganache below. Working quickly, add a layer of ganache on banana layer, then continue alternating layers of cake and frostings. When cake is assembled, frost entire cake with remaining Greek yogurt ganache. If it begins to seize up on you, place in the microwave on low setting, and warm for 40-45 seconds to 1 minute to re-soften. Mix again, and finish frosting. With the remaining Dulche de Leche, pipe or frost the entire cake however you choose! I simply piped, (with a flat tip), vertical lines up the sides, placed banana chips at the base, and drizzled some melted chocolate on top of the cake to finish! You can finish however you like: using nuts, cake or cookie crumbs, banana chips, caramel, etc. **Refrigerate when finished.
Greek Yogurt Ganache:1- 12oz. bag of milk, or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups of Plain Greek Yogurt

1) Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a medium bowl. When cooled slightly, whisk in the Greek yogurt quickly, until creamy and smooth. (I just do this by hand for this small amount.)

Garnish:
Banana chips
melted chocolate or ganache
caramel sauce
nuts
cookie or cake crumbs

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