Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides.
2. Combine the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool.
4. Cover the outsides of the pan with aluminum foil so that water from the water bath cannot get in (see how I prepare my pan for a water bath). Set prepared pan aside.

Cheesecake

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F (148°C).
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and flour on low speed until well completely combined and smooth. Be sure to use low speed to reduce the amount of air added to the batter, which can cause cracks. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the sour cream and banana extract and mix on low speed until well combined.
4.  Add the pureed bananas and mix on low speed until combined.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing slowly to combine after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure everything is well combined.
6. Pour the cheesecake batter into the crust.
7. Place the springform pan inside another larger pan. Fill the outside pan with enough warm water to go about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. The water should not go above the top edge of the aluminum foil on the springform pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes. The center should be set, but still jiggly.
9. Turn off the oven and leave the door closed for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will continue to cook, but slowly begin to cool as well.
10.  Crack the door of the oven for 30 minutes to allow the cheesecake to continue to cool slowly. This process helps prevent cracking.
11. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and water bath wrapping and refrigerate until firm, 5-6 hours or overnight.

Topping

1. While the cheesecake is cooling in the fridge, make the whipped creams for the topping. Working on one flavor at a time, add all of the ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Don’t over whip it or it’ll get too thick and be harder to scoop later. Add each flavor to it’s own individual container and then freeze it until firm. Note: You’ll want to be able to get nice scoops out later, so I recommend a container that’s a little bit deep and has enough space for scooping. Also note that you’ll have a little whipped cream left over after making the scoops. I personally feel it’s better to have more so that you can achieve nicer scoops, but if you really don’t like having things leftover, you can reduce each of the whipped creams by a third.
2. When the cheesecake is cooled and firm, grab the whipped cream flavors from the freezer and let them sit on the counter for about 15-20 minutes to soften just a bit so that they are a little easier to scoop.
3. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and place on a serving plate.
4. Use an ice cream scoop to get scoops of “ice cream” and place them around the top of the cheesecake, alternating the colors/flavors as desired. I started with one scoop in the middle of the cheesecake and then added another 7 scoops around the outside of that one. You’ll have plenty of “ice cream”, so feel free to pile it as high as you like.
5. Make the vanilla whipped cream for the swirls on top. Add all the ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Note: I make this separately, rather than using what’s left of the frozen vanilla whipped cream because you can’t really re-whip whipped cream. Once thawed, it won’t pipe properly, so you’ll need to make fresh whipped cream.
6. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the scoops and then add your favorite banana split toppings for decorations.
7. Serve the cheesecake immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. The scoops last well, so you can keep this cheesecake for 4-5 days without a problem. If it’s going to sit a while before serving though, you might want to add the final toppings, especially the sliced banana, just before serving so they look fresh and aren’t browned. Store in the refrigerator.