Tag Archives: toffee

banana toffee cake from smitten kitchen

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You can also bake this cake in an 8×8-inch square (I cut this into 16 small squares) or 9-inch round cake (8 to 12 wedges) single cake layer — do so for 25 to 27 minutes, until until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out batter-free. I suspect you’re about to ask me why there is molasses and some white sugar in this cake when molasses + white sugar = brown sugar, but I feel that the white sugar keeps the cake from being too gummy and the molasses adds a slightly intense balance that brown sugar does not.

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
  • 1/2 cup (95 grams) packed dark brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses or treacle
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup (170 grams) mashed bananas (2 medium bananas, or about 12 ounces unpeeled)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, well-shaken
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
  • 1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream, divided (half for sauce, half for whipping)
  • 1/2 cup (95 grams) dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to finish
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 12 standard muffin cups in butter or with nonstick spray. 

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla until combined. Add mashed banana and whisk again. Add eggs and whisk until incorporated, then buttermilk. Sprinkle baking soda and baking powder on batter and whisk until combined and then (don’t skip this), 10 to 20 more times, ensuring that it very well dispersed in the bowl. Add flour and mix only until it disappears. Divide batter between 12 cups.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out batter free. 

While the cakes bake, make the toffee sauce: Combine butter, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a larger saucepan than you think you’ll need over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes — the mixture thickens slightly. Add a couple pinches of salt and vanilla. 

… And whipped cream: In a medium-large clean bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream with an electric or you-powered whisk until it forms soft peaks. Don’t add sugar to this; I promise it does not need it.

To serve: Remove one warm cake from the muffin tin and either plate it dome side-up or you can cut the dome off the cake with a serrated knife and serve the cake upside-down, as shown. (You can use the cake tops to pacify hangry people in your kitchen.) Ladle the cake generously with the toffee sauce, finish with a big dollop of the cream and a few flakes of sea salt. Repeat with remaining cakes.

Do ahead: I find whipped cream keeps for many hours in the fridge without a problem, but if you’re worried, you can use this trick to keep it for several days. The sauce keeps for a week or two; it can be reheated in about 20 seconds in the microwave, just until it liquefies, or back on the stove in a small saucepan. The cake keeps for 3 to 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container before seeming stale to me. If you can gently rewarm it before serving, all the better.

Sticky Toffee Date Cake

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1 pound dates, pitted and chopped
2 teaspoons baking soda
For the Cakes
8 ounces butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3¼ tablespoons baking powder

For the Sauce
½ pound butter
1 cup brown sugar (8 ounces)
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch-round cake pans or 20 muffin tins.

Place the dates in large saucepan with 3½ cups cold water. Bring to boil, stirring a little to break up the dates. Then leave to simmer for 1 minute before removing from the heat. Stir in the baking soda (which will cause the mixture to bubble up).

Cream the butter and sugar together in a food mixer until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, occasionally scraping down mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and then the flour and salt and mix briefly to give a lumpy dough.

Next, add the warm date mixture in two batches. Scrape down the sides of bowl in between mixing. The dough will now be quite watery but don’t worry! Finally add the baking powder (this will bubble up also).

Pour the batter evenly into the two pans or muffin tins. Bake for about 30-40 minutes for cake pans and about 20 minutes for muffin tins. Test if they are cooked with a small knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when cakes are done.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer gently for a minute or two until thickened and well blended.

When the cakes are done, poke little holes all over with toothpick, this will enable the sauce to be absorbed more easily. Pour the caramel sauce over cakes while both are still warm and leave to soak for about 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out upside-down onto serving plates (the bottom is the most sticky bit!).   (Yield: 2- 9″ Cakes)

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream