Banana Bread Napoleon Cakes

Ingredients:

Banana bread

• 2 cups premium flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 soft overripe bananas (about 350 g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 0.5 cups vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• Banana chips, for serving (optional)

Curd glaze

• 170 g of cream cheese, room temperature
• 1.5 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 18 x 13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang along the long sides. Spray the parchment with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Banana bread:
   
   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mash the bananas on medium speed. Reduce the speed to medium-low, add the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and eggs, and mix until the bananas are pureed and the mixture is smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the banana mixture in 2 additions, mixing well after each addition. Knead until a smooth dough forms.
3. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and tap the pan firmly on the countertop once to release any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the bread is golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan, 22-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan by pulling on the parchment tabs and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Curd glaze:
   
   Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until softened, 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar in two additions, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated after each addition, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium, add the sour cream and heavy cream, and beat until smooth and silky. Transfer the frosting to a zip-lock bag and refrigerate.
5. Napoleon assembly:
   
   Transfer the bread and parchment to a large cutting board. Using a ruler to create a straight edge, trim 0.5 cm from all edges. Cut the bread into 35 7.5 x 4 cm rectangles (cut every 7.5 cm lengthwise and 4 cm widthwise). Arrange the bread slices vertically on the cutting board. Snip a corner off the frosting bag and pipe frosting in a zigzag pattern onto each slice of banana bread.
6. Then stack 2 slices of bread. You should have 17 double-layer Napoleons (with one slice of bread left over). Garnish each Napoleon with banana chips, if using.
   
   
   Note
   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods..