Sunday 10 June 2012

Toffee topped banana and brazil nut cake






This cake is massive!  When I spooned the batter into the tin it filled it to the brim and I had a horrible feeling that one of my tasks that afternoon would be scraping cake from the bottom of the oven!  But it didn’t overspill – I think that’s due to the long, slow cooking time.





It’s the only large cake I’ve made that has a muffin top to it!  The cake came up well above the height of the tin.





I don’t make a lot of banana cakes as a large percentage of my family won’t eat them; however, when I saw this beauty selfishness took over and I knew we had to become better acquainted.  I’m not sure if it was the toffee covered nut topping or the fact that it just sounded so great from the ingredient list.  Whatever the reason, we’ve had a very successful first date and are now going steady!





I cut the nuts finer for the cake than I did on the top.  I don’t mind chunky nuts on top of a cake where they can be seen, but when hidden in sponge a large nut can be a nasty surprise for delicate teeth.





This cake keeps for days getting better and better – so no need to panic about how huge it is – and is lovely for breakfast, an accompaniment for your mid-morning or mid-afternoon tea, and, if you cut a large enough slice, will do very nicely as a meal in itself!  This next photo show why it’s worth piercing the cake with a skewer before pouring on the toffee topping – look at how it’s oozed into the cake:




Ingredients

For the cake:

175g unsalted butter, at room temperature
175g light brown sugar
4 eggs
125g brazil nuts – chopped quite small
3 large bananas – peeled and mashed
½ teaspoon mixed spice
350g self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
300ml plain Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon runny honey

For the topping:

75g unsalted butter
175g light brown sugar
2 tablespoon double cream
75g brazil nuts – roughly chopped

To serve: thick cream


Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan oven 160°C/ 350°F/gas mark 4.

Line a 20cm round springform tin with baking paper.

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, gradually.  The mix might start to curdle a little on the fourth egg but that’s fine.

Stir in the brazil nuts and spice.

Mash the bananas and stir into the mix.  I find the most efficient mashing technique is to use my potato ricer.

Stir in the flour and baking powder.

Stir in the yoghurt and honey.

Spoon into the prepared tin and don’t panic – the tin will be full to the brim!

Bake for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes (mine took exactly this time) or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin until you can safely remove the tin.  Then leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Pierce the cake with a skewer.

Now make the topping: Place the butter, sugar and cream in a pan and gently melt together.
Bring to simmering point and stir well.

Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped nuts.

Pour the mixture over the cake letting it drizzle a little down the sides.

You can if you wish put the whole cake under the grill for 1- minutes to toast the nut topping but I didn’t bother as my grill is erratic and I didn’t want to risk burning the cake.

Serve the cake with thick cream.

Bask in the glory of the wonderful thing you have created.

Eat.

21 comments:

Victory Rolls & Mixing Bowls said...

Love the oversized muffin top! Still nt sure on the bananas I'm a bit of a wuss, looks like it has a lovely texture!

Caroline said...

Wow, massive as ever! That looks like a very moist cake, and lovely flavour combinations too.

Gloria Baker said...

I love this really look delicious and love the top!

Soo said...

That looks like cake heaven. Bet is tastes that way too.....

Baking Addict said...

wow that is indeed a huge muffin top but in a good way :) I LOVE bananas in baking so I could happily eat this for a meal. I agree that the ingredients list sound delicious - bookmarking to try!

Baking Addict said...

wow that is indeed a huge muffin top but in a good way :) I LOVE bananas in baking so I could happily eat this for a meal. I agree that the ingredients list sound delicious - bookmarking to try!

sensibilia said...

Looks gorgeous. A big cake suitable for breakfast - what could be better.

Rosie Swaffer said...

What a gorgeous blog, I've just followed you on GFC so I can keep up to date with your cake crusade x

http://rosieposiespuddingsandpies.blogspot.co.uk/

freerangegirl said...

I love the shape this turned out! It looks yummy!

Katie said...

Wow looks like a giant muffin. Never seen a cake do that - but I like it. The cake looks very moist and love the toffee drizzle

Perdita Tinsel said...

I love the way it's puffed up over the tin! Yum!

anon said...

banana, toffee and nuts? match made in heaven. you can't go wrong with a combo like that. here here to cake for breakfast - how decadently naughty!

anon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sunshine - www.cancersurvivor26.blogger.com said...

That looks delish!

www.cancerinthecity.com

Kate@whatkatebaked said...

What a successful first date! Have you exchanged mixed tapes yet? Always a sign of a promising relationship... Or maybe not so much a mixed tape as a compilation of the greatest hits of Bananarama?!

What a delicious bake!

Your fears reminded me of my kitchen disaster last night when I forlornly stared at my cake in the oven as it ended up turning into more of a cake waterfall with cake mixture falling steadily from the tin and 20 minutes later I found myself scraping congealed cake mixture from the bottom of the oven!

PS: Thank you for your lovely, lovely comments on my recent post

Hazel - Chicken in a Cherry Sauce said...

Wow, this really does look like a giant muffin! Love the idea of poking holes through it to let the toffee go into the depths of the cake. I'd definitely be eating it at all times of the day!

Choclette said...

Ooh err, next time I have bananas in need of using up, I think I know what I might be baking - that topping looks fantastic and it's nice to make use of the poor neglected Brazil nut.

Marilyn said...

I found my way here from Pinterest...I'm not leaving!!! What a delicious blog you have... :)

Cakelaw said...

OMG - how could I resist a massive cake with toffee and brazil nuts! Sounds amazing.

Em said...

such a brilliant blog idea! love it

Unknown said...

You blog is always the first place I go when I need a recipe for a cake! I will be making this for when I have friends round soon! Looks delicious as always :D