Sticky Toffee Banana Pudding
Source: Bon Appétit March 2011
Ingredients
Toffee sauce
- 1¼ cups plus 3 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
Banana cake
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ⅔ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3)
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract Sliced bananas (optional)
- Special equipment: 8 x 8 x 2-inch nonstick metal baking pan
Method
For toffee sauce:
Bring 1¼ cups cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and ⅛ teaspoon 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 1½ cups, whisking occasionally, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool. Whisk in 3 tablespoons or more cream to thin sauce to desired consistency. DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm slightly before using.
For banana cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 8 x 8 x 2-inch nonstick metal baking pan. Dust baking pan with flour, tapping out excess.
Whisk flour, baking powder, and ½ 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 ½ cup toffee sauce evenly over cake. Return cake to oven and bake until sauce is bubbling thickly, 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.