This is a recipe best eaten fresh out of the oven, and came about due to having some left over caramel sauce in the fridge, along with some over-ripe bananas (which no one in my house likes to eat). As I always try to find an excuse for some additional chocolate, of course I had to pop some in! This recipe also works well with milk chocolate, it’s just sweeter; I just generally add dark though as I like the way it counteracts the sweetness of the bananas and caramel. Served warm, with a dollop of crème fraiche, double cream, or ice cream makes this a winning pudding. I tend to take a really practical approach to my baking, and never get too hung up on the ingredients; so if you have salted or unsalted butter, whole or semi skimmed milk, it won’t make too much of a difference, if you only have self raising flour in, use it, and add an extra touch of baking powder. Just give it a go; the results will be enjoyed I am sure!
MAKES 1 CAKE// TIME: 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES // EASY
Chocolate, Banana & Caramel Cake Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 200g Butter
- 200g Golden Caster Sugar
- 3 Medium Eggs
- 300g Plain Flour
- 1tsp Baking Powder
- 2 Ripe Mashed Bananas
- 150g Dark Chocolate (roughly chopped)
- 100ml Milk
For the caramel sauce:
- 50g Butter
- 70g Dark Brown Sugar
- 70ml Maple Syrup or Golden Syrup
For the topping:
- 3 Just-ripe Bananas, sliced either length ways or into smaller pieces
You will also need:
- A 23cm Spring Form Cake Tin, Well Greased
Chocolate, Banana & Caramel Cake Method:
- Pre heat the oven to 180 /160 fan.
- Start with the caramel topping (which you can make ahead, and have in the fridge). Pop the butter, sugar, and syrup into a pan, and heat gently to a simmer until all the sugar has dissolved, and the syrup is think and golden. Allow to cool slightly, then pour into the prepared tin.
- Arrange the bananas on top of the syrup, and set aside.
- Put the butter and sugar into a bowl, and beat until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, then sift in the flour, baking powder and mix well. It’s now time to add the chopped chocolate bits, the mashed bananas and a little of the milk at a time, until you have a batter that drops from the spoon (so you may not need all the milk I’ve suggested). Pour into the tin on top of the banana and caramel mixture, and smooth over.
- Pop into the oven, on top of a baking tray (as the caramel may seep out of the tin), and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Then, turn out onto a serving plate. Serve while still warm with a healthy dollop of vanilla ice cream, double cream, or crème fraiche (and any left over caramel sauce), and enjoy.