Joy's birthday is a few days away and she already has a cake overload from the previous weeks. Poor kid! So she insisted on a 6 inch cake. It was going to be a baby cake for the baby! I was too stunned she didn't want to go all out, but as a mother, I applaud her sensibilities.

The 'poor kid' insisted on two cakes! Why? Because she had it last year and the year before. Im a sucker when it comes to cakes and the more the merrier, so of course, I concurred ... again ...

This time, though, we didn't troll the internet for fancy versions of the cheesecake, we looked through our own archives, now that we have 79 of them that are cakes. And we were so delighted to come across this one. Because it was so amazing the first and second time around. Third time's a charm!

This recipe makes a 6 inch cheesecake, enough to satisfy 4 to 6 people. For the celebrate-and-then-save-some recipe, choose this one here

Ingredients:
Crust:
1-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
2 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp melted butter

Cheesecake:
340 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 bananas, mashed
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache:
150 grams dark chocolate (the really good one), chopped
150 grams heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. Spray a 6" springform pan with canola oil and line bottom with parchment
2. Just so we don't want spillages on the oven floor, place this pan in a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment as well.

3. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. Make the crust by whirring everything in the processor, then pressing lightly into the bottom and the sides of the pan (tip: even it out with a cup measure).
5. Bake the crust for 5-8 minutes then cool completely.

6. Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar for about 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure the batter is homogenous.
8. Add the milk, vanilla and bananas, mixing on low, just until everything is just combined.

9. Pour into the prepared springform pan (which should be on top of that said baking sheet), and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cheesecake is ready when the sides have pulled away and the top has turned golden brown. It should still be a bit jiggly in the center.

10. Remove from the oven and place an oversized mixing bowl to cover the top, propping it on the sides to let steam escape, but retain enough heat to continue cooking the middle.
11. As the cheesecake cools, the jiggly part should set by then.
12. Remove the sides of the springform pan, keeping the bottom,  then cool completely on a wire rack.

13. When cool, reattach the sides if you can, as it is easier to put a plastic wrap around it this way.
14. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight, if you can resist.

15. Make the ganache: in a small saucepan, heat the cream until it comes to a slight simmer (almost boiling), then pour over the chopped chocolate, which I hoped you'd have placed in a heat proof bowl. Stir, stir, stir, until it is smooth.
16. Cool slightly until it is of spreading and dripping consistency. You'll know this soon enough.
17. Pour over cooled cheesecake, set in the fridge for a few minutes, then decorate to your heart's content.