Banana Split Bombe
Who knew everyone's favorite split would grow up to be such a looker? Beneath a drizzle of chocolate lie stripes of vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio ice cream, all atop a surprise core of banana cake. Just try telling your inner child to wait for dessert.
Appeared In
Martha Stewart Living, July 2008
Ingredients
For the Bombe
- 2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 very ripe banana, mashed (1/2 cup)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 pints pistachio ice cream, softened
- 2 pints chocolate ice cream, softened
- Banana Cake
For the Hard Chocolate Topping
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
- 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, for garnish
Cook's Note
We used a KitchenAid 5-quart bowl for this bombe, but any 5-quart heatproof bowl will work. A metal bowl helps the ice cream set more quickly.
Directions
- Step 1Make the bombe: Spread vanilla ice cream in an even layer on bottom and up sides of a 5-quart heatproof bowl with a 9 1/2-inch-diameter rim. Ice cream should form a concave layer that comes up to the rim of the bowl. Freeze until set, about 20 minutes. Using an offset spatula, smooth the surface of the ice cream layer. Freeze again until very firm, at least 1 hour.
- Step 2Meanwhile, place chocolate and banana in a heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a saucepan until bubbles begin to form around edges. Pour over chocolate and banana, and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk until combined. Set bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk until chocolate melts. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until thick and spreadable, about 1 hour.
- Step 3Spread chocolate-banana mixture in a thin, even layer over entire surface of vanilla ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Step 4Spread pistachio ice cream in a flat, smooth layer over chocolate-banana mixture, but not up sides. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Step 5Spread chocolate ice cream in a flat, smooth layer over pistachio ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Step 6Place banana cake over chocolate ice cream, top side up, and press gently until cake fits snugly against ice cream. (If vanilla ice cream and ganache layers extend beyond top of cake, trim them with a sharp knife.) Cover with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight (or up to 3 days).
- Step 7To unmold bombe, dip bowl in a larger bowl of very hot water or use a small kitchen torch to warm outside of bowl. Continue dipping or torching bowl until bombe releases when inverted onto a serving platter. Remove bowl, wipe ice cream drips off platter, and freeze until bombe is very firm, about 1 hour.
- Step 8Make the topping: Place chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate and shortening melt. Let cool slightly, then slowly pour on top of bombe, spiraling in concentric circles to create a solid center with long drips down the sides. Sprinkle pistachios on top, and freeze until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes.
- Step 9Run a large knife under hot water, and dry well. Use it to slice bombe into wedges, as you would a cake, wiping knife clean between cuts.

just finished making this dessert-I used homemade strawberry ice cream instead of pistachio, true banana spit combo. I made the cake in a 9" cake pan and also used the 5 qt kitchenaid mixer bowl, but found I needed to trim the cake to about 8" for it to fit inside the vanilla and ganache layers, so that it would be hidden inside the ice cream. Next time I will bake cake in an 8" pan. Otherwise it would be ice cream on top of the cake, with the cake exposed. Looking forward to the taste test!
again and for the second time i try a recipe from my favourite site and it succeeds marvelously. the recipe is very easy and the result is wonderfull. i made it in my daughter's birthday and everyone liked it very much and it was a distinguished kind on among other cakes. thank you very much
The recipe is very easy to be successful with and turns out lovely. Make sure you allow the bombe to become VERY firm after you unmold it and allow the chocolate to cool considerably before pouring it on the bombe. Otherwise, the chocolate melts the ice cream slightly and starts to fall off the sides of the bombe. It tastes fine, but you do not get the "WOW" presentation you're looking for.
Amazing presentation and worth the time and effort. Add a small amount of green food coloring to the pistachio ice cream as it will enhance the "wow" factor. The banana and chocolate layer was inspired and tasted amazing. Not crazy about the cake texture. Make sure cake layer is even with the vanilla ice cream "crust" or when you invert the cake will peek out the bottom. Overall, one of the best desserts I have ever made.