I received my copy of Bon Appetit
the other afternoon. My attention was
drawn to the wonderful looking
macaroni and cheese pictured on the cover.
Later, I was flipping through and found
this recipe for banana cake. It looked quite
interesting, and well I had three very ripe
bananas ready and waiting.
Not only is it really good, the cake tender, but
the addition of the toffee sauce and fresh
sliced bananas send it over the top.
I had to have some with a cup of coffee.
Tea would be good - but, coffee was great!
Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding
toffee sauce
1 1/4 cups plus 3 tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
banana cake
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) dark brow sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3)
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
sliced bananas (optional)
8X8X2 nonstick metal baking pan
Toffee Sauce: Bring 1 1/4 cups cream, brown sugar,
corn syrup, butter, and 1/8 tsp salt to boil in heavy
small saucepan over medium heat, whisking until
sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low and
cook at gentle boil until sauce coats spoon thickly
and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, whisking occasionally,
about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Whisk in 3 tablespoons or more cream to thin
sauce to desired consistency.
Banana cake: Preheat oven to 350. butter 8X8X2
baking pan. Dust baking pan with flour, tapping
out excess.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in
medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and
sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs
1 at a time. Beat in mashed bananas, rum, and
vanilla (batter may look curdled). Add dry ingredients
in 4 additions, beating just to blend after each addition.
Spread batter evenly in prepared baking pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out
clean. 35 to 38 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup toffee sauce
evenly over cake. REturn cake to oven and bake until
sauce is bubbling thickly, and about 6 minutes. Cool
cake in pan on rack 30 minutes. Cut around cake in pan.
Cut cake into 9 squares or 12 rectangles. Serve cake
slightly warm or at room temperature with toffee sauce
and top with sliced bananas, if desired.
(recipe by Chef Lauren Chattman-new book to be published
in April - Bread Making - A Home Course)
~~~~
Later, the next day I was looking for
the macaroni and cheese recipe when
I came across Gateau de Sirop. I thought
it was an advertisement at first. Then I noticed
the recipe alongside the picture.
My husband and daughter LOVE cane
syrup - we go to a nearby cane syrup festival
in November each year - to stock up.
I asked them if they wanted me to try the recipe.
They did, but were skeptical - not wanting to
waste their precious syrup.
Well, I did - they absolutely loved it. I put a
piece in my husband's lunch and he later reported
that it was cold.
He said this morning - 'That's good cake'.
I suppose it was well worth their precious syrup!
Gateau De Sirop
2/12 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter,
room temperature
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups 100% pure cane syrup
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping
cream
additional can syrup
powdered sugar
**
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour
13X9X2 inch metal baking pan. Sift flour
baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and
1 teaspoon salt into medium bowl. Using
electric mixer, beat sugar and beat until
blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in
1 3/4 cups syrup, then evaporated milk and
sour cream (batter may look curdled) Add
dry ingredients and beat on lowest speed
until blended. Transfer cake batter to
prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into
center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Cool cake in pan on rack. Beat cream in
medium bowl until peaks form. Cut cake
into squares. Place on plates. Spoon whipped
cream alongside; drizzle with additional
syrup. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
(recipe by Anna Beth and Vince Chao. Anne Beth blogs
at hashai.com)
Tea would be good with this banana cake,
but coffee was great!
I am sharing this post with my
friends who host their amazing tea parties:
