Middle Eastern Qeshta Banana Cake

Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 180°C.

Prepare a shallow-rimmed baking tray measuring 17 by 11 inches and line it with a piece of parchment paper.

For the cake mixture, in the mixer bowl, place the butter, sugar, and eggs, attach the whisk attachment and run the mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes.

Add half the amount of milk, flour, and baking powder, run the mixer for 1 minute, then add the remaining milk and flour and run for another minute to get a smooth and light cake mixture.

Spread the mixture in the tray and level the surface.

Place the tray in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the cake is fully baked, testing doneness with a small wooden stick that should come out clean when inserted into the center.

Immediately flip the cake slice onto a piece of parchment paper and remove the parchment paper from the cake surface.

For the pudding, in a medium-sized thick-bottomed pot, place the milk, sugar, starch, and rose water, use a hand whisk to stir until the starch dissolves, then place on medium heat and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth pudding forms.

Using a round cookie cutter, cut the cake into 30 circles according to the cutter size and place the cake remnants in a side dish, crumbling them with fingertips to make bread crumbs.

For the filling, cut the bananas into slices, place in a deep plate, add lemon juice and stir gently.

For serving, using a spoon, place some pudding on a cake circle in the shape of a pyramid or dome, add a piece of banana, spread some cake crumbs over the filling and press lightly to hold together and form a dome or half-sphere shape.

Place the qeshta cake in a serving dish, garnish with dried rose petals and serve immediately.