Baked banana cheesecakes (banane céleste)

The cuisine of Martinique, a French territory in the Caribbean, brings together French and Caribbean ingredients, and these cheesecakes with caramel and banana are a delicious example. Sugar has played a key role in the development of Martinique ever since the Dutch introduced sugarcane to the islands from Brazil in the 17th century. The cinnamon, too, is a result of the Dutch spice trade, which delivered it from Sri Lanka to the New World. To preserve the creamy texture of these cakes, take care not to overcook them – they’ll become firmer as they cool.

• makes

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 250 g cream cheese, softened
• 160 ml thickened cream, plus extra, whipped, to serve
• 55 g (¼ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra, to serve

Base

• 60 ml (¼ cup) thickened cream
• 55 g (¼ cup firmly packed) brown sugar
• 20 g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 bananas, thickly sliced

Chilling time 2 hours

Instructions

To make base, place cream, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and cinnamon in a saucepan with ¼ tsp salt over medium–low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, then cook for 2 minutes or until thick and syrupy. Add bananas, then divide mixture among 4 x 250 ml ovenproof dishes (see Note). Set aside.

Preheat oven to 160°C. Process cream cheese, cream, sugar, egg, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor until smooth. Divide among prepared dishes, then bake for 15 minutes or until golden and puffed with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 2 hours. Serve topped with whipped cream and dusted with extra cinnamon.

Note

• You can also use ovenproof dishes of different shapes and sizes, simply divide mixture evenly among them.

Photography Chris Chen

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.