February is here and it’s cause for celebration, I think. We’ve made it through the long days of January without a whisper of moaning (perhaps). There’s a faint twinkle of promise and hope, and all that’s brilliant about spring glistening on the horizon. And I think that’s a good reason to celebrate. It’s cake time. Candles optional, balloons and streamers non-negotiable. Let’s call it February-mas.
While the prospect of spring, longer days, a little warmth and zingy freshness in the air, brings me huge joy, I must admit, I’m still leaning on cosy flavours, beige foods and warming spices to nurse me through the dregs of this winter leg. So here's a tender, lightly spiced banana cake topped with a mound of swoopy whipped salted caramel cream and a whisper of chocolate shavings. It’s kind of banoffee with a twist of sophistication.
The sponge is a simple affair, full of banana flavour, moist, light and fluffy. There are notes of caramel from the brown sugar, and a dose of cinnamon yields a wonderful warmth. For the topping, homemade slightly salted caramel is added to double cream and whipped up until just thickened; on the surface it sounds too sweet and rich but don’t be fooled, it’s light, moussey and devilishly addictive – seriously, you’ll want to eat it straight from the bowl. The crowning glory is a veil of grated dark chocolate, because it just makes sense, you know?
I hope you like this cake as much as I do and Happy February-mas!
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the cake
150g super ripe bananas
2 large eggs (about 115g)
150g light brown sugar
140g light olive oil
170g plain flour
6g (approx. 1 ¼ tsp) baking powder
4g (approx. ¾ tsp) bicarbonate of soda
2g (approx. ½ tsp) ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
Peanut Butter Caramel
60g caster sugar
20g unsalted butter, softened
70g double cream, slightly warmed for approx. 10-20 seconds in the microwave
15g peanut butter
pinch of salt
Whipped Caramel Cream
300g double cream
10g whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
10g dark chocolate
Peanut butter caramel from above
Handful of peanuts roasted
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas mark 4. Grease and line an 8-inch cake tin with baking paper.
Mash the bananas in a small bowl until smooth, then set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
Next, add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on medium speed for a couple of minutes until the mixture looks creamy and lighter in colour. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the oil and continue to whisk until fully combined. Stop the mixer and add the mashed bananas, briefly (and gently) mix to combine with a spatula, then carefully fold in the dry ingredients until you have a smooth streak-free batter.
Pour the batter in the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then unmould and place on a cooling rack, set it aside to cool completely.
To make the peanut butter caramel, add the sugar to a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar melts and turns an amber colour. Swirl the pan around frequently to make sure the sugar melts evenly.
Once melted, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the warm cream and whisk until combined. Then add the butter and whisk until homogenous. Finally, add the peanut butter and salt and stir to combine.
Pour the caramel into a shallow bowl or a jug and let it cool completely. It will thicken as it cools.
When you’re ready to assemble, prepare the whipped caramel cream. Add the cream to a bowl along with the vanilla and a splash of milk, add the cooled caramel (this weighs about 135g for me) and use a balloon whisk to mix through. Continue to whisk until the mixture reaches soft/medium peak – if you continue with a balloon whisk, this can take a little while, you may use an electric hand whisk but be very careful not to over-whisk the mixture.
Once whippy and thickened, spoon all the caramel cream onto the cake and level with a palette knife – it will seem like a lot, this is correct. Grate some dark chocolate on top and dot the roasted peanuts around the circumference. Slice and serve.
Once the cream has been added, keep the cake in the refrigerator. Remove about 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
