Ingredients :

• Cream cheese — Use original Philadelphia, full-fat—not light, not low-fat. It’s the base of the cheesecake, it must be fatty to hold during baking. Let it come to room temperature at least one hour before starting, otherwise the mixture will remain lumpy no matter how much you mix.
• Banana extract — Yes, in addition to real bananas. The extract concentrates the ripe banana flavor that real banana loses when cooked. A few drops are enough—it’s powerful, don’t overdose or it becomes artificial.
• Gelatin — For the Bavarian cream, it’s what gives structure without stiffening. Sheets or powder, both work. For sheets, soak them for 5 minutes in cold water before incorporating. For powder, hydrate it in a little cold water according to package instructions.
• Vanilla cookies (like Nilla Wafers) — If you can’t find them, Petit-Beurre or Digestives work perfectly. The principle is the same: a dry cookie, low in sugar, that absorbs the butter without becoming pasty.