recipe: banana caramel layered cake

I don't eat bananas very often. Very seldom actually. But when you put them in a cake, I'm all over it like a rash! I thought I'd share with you my latest culinary delight. A banana caramel layered cake.

*beware. bananas feature heavily in this post!*

Recipe

200g butter

150g caster sugar

50g light brown sugar

4 eggs

200g self raising flour

*a dash of vanilla extract*

1tbsp milk

2 small very ripe bananas

1. Cream the butter and both types of sugar together with an electric whisk until light and fluffy.

2. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together and add to the butter and sugar a little at a time.

3. Sieve the flour in and gently fold until all incorporated.

4. Mush the bananas in a separate bowl with a fork and add to the cake mix along with the milk. Mix.

5. Bake in three separate tins and bake in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked.

Make a caramel buttercream with either shop bought caramel or make your own. Layer with the buttercream and slices of banana between each layer. Top with a drizzle of caramel or a topping of your choice. 

Excuse my very sparse and sporadic instructions. It's tough to remember what you did when you're in banana caramel cake and coffee heaven!

An alternative to buttercream would be whipped cream and you can omit the additional slices of banana between the layers if you wish. Enjoy as your afternoon tea, with some ice cream for desert, coffee or tea, or any time in between!

Bon appétit!

Vanessa

x 

recipe: maple syrup cake

Woah, I haven't done a recipe post is ages! I miss them as much as I'm sure you miss them too! 

My brother got back from his North America/Canada trip a few weeks ago and whilst in Canada, I asked him to pick me up a bottle of liquid gold aka maple syrup! I struggled this week to think of what to bake; chocolate cake, pie, cupcakes...?! Then I had an epiphany. Maple syrup cake. 

Sandwiched with a creamy vanilla buttercream filling, it has that perfect sticky maple syrup taste that lingers in the back of your mouth whilst you enjoy the beautiful sponge texture. Are you salivating already? It may look plain but don't let appearances fool you!

As with most of my bakes, I bake without a recipe to hand so I'm going to try my best to give you accurate measurements but it will become apparent that I've had to improvise a little!

Recipe

200g butter

200g caster sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

200g self raising flour

2tbsp milk

A big glug of maple syrup

1. Cream the butter until light then add the sugar and cream again until light and fluffy. 

2. Whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and mix with the butter mixture alternatively with the flour. 

3. Add the milk and maple syrup and mix until combined. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of flour as required.

4. Divide the mixture amongst cake tins or baking cases. Bake in the oven at 180 degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

5. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

6. Once completely cool, sandwich them together with your favourite buttercream!

Although I would have loved to cover the entire cake with buttercream and do some piping work on it, it really doesn't call for it as it'll be too overly sweet. I cannot put into words how amazingly tasty this cake is. Along with a mug of hot chocolate, you can almost see the log fire burning and it's finally Autumn!

Next thing...maple syrup pancakes and bacon!

Bon appétit!

Vanessa

x