Banana and Hazelnut Cake with Cherries

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking tray with baking paper. I recommend using a deeper baking tray or using a square baking frame. The mixture will not run off the baking tray if you don't use a baking frame or a deeper tray, but it will look better, more even if you do so.
2. Melt chocolate: Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler/ bain-marie. Let it cool slightly until you prepare the rest.
3. Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream the soft butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well in between. Pour in the milk and the melted chocolate and stir in as well.
4. Batter: In another bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift the mixture over the wet ingredients, add the ground hazelnuts and fold in carefully. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
5. Fruit: Drain the cherries and slice the bananas into 2 cm/0.8-inch slices. Spread the cherries and the bananas all over the cake batter on the tray.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely.

Topping:

1. Mix cornstarch and the icing sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat the heavy cream shortly. Slowly start adding the cornstarch-sugar mixture (or the cream stabilizer, if using) and the vanilla extract. Continue whipping the cream until stiff.
3. Stir the sour cream or crème Fraiche briefly with a spoon and fold it into the whipped cream. Don't use the mixer to mix the two ingredients, or the mixture will get too soft and runny. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar or granulated sugar if you feel it is necessary.
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into squares and decorate with banana chips just before serving.