CAKE HEAVEN

WE LOVE… SPICED HONEY CAKE pg26 // PEAR CAKE pg27 //BUTTER RUM CAKE pg33

Banana & salted caramel showstopper cake

Recipe taken from Embellish with Relish ©2019 Meze Publishing Ltd. Written by Maria Whitehead MBE. Photography by Tim Green.

SERVES 8

For the cake

300g (10½oz) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tins

300g (10½oz) soft light brown sugar

4 large free-range eggs

300g (10½oz) plain flour, sifted

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 ripe mashed bananas, peeled

For the caramel buttercream

150g (5½oz) unsalted butter, softened

500g (1lb 1oz) icing sugar

200g (7oz) soft cheese

80g (2½oz) Hawkhead Relish Salted Caramel Sauce

To assemble

150g (5½oz) Hawkhead Relish Salted Caramel Sauce

1 tbsp cold water

2 ripe bananas, peeled

25g (1oz) unsalted butter

a generous pinch of Halen Môn sea salt flakes

a handful of walnut halves

For the cake

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Meanwhile, grease and line two deep 20cm (8in) springform cake tins using the extra butter and baking paper.

2 Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, one by one, and mix between each addition until thoroughly combined. Fold in the flour, followed by the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir in the vanilla extract and the mashed bananas until just combined. Divide the batter equally between the lined cake tins and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clean. Cool in the tins for at least 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the caramel buttercream

3 Beat the butter and icing sugar for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add the soft cheese and beat for another minute or until fully combined. Add the salted caramel sauce and mix until the buttercream is thick yet spreadable.

To assemble

4 Spread 50g (1½oz) of the caramel sauce on top of one of the sponges, followed by a thick layer of the buttercream, then chill for 10 minutes. Put the plain sponge on top of the iced one and spread the remaining buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

5 In a bowl, whisk the remaining 100g (3½oz) caramel with the cold water until smooth. Slice the bananas at an angle while you melt the butter in a frying pan. Fry the sliced bananas for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to caramelise. Cool, then gently stir through half of the whisked caramel.

6 Put the cake on a serving plate or stand and pile the caramelised bananas on top, then drizzle with the remaining caramel. Sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes and add some walnut halves if you like.

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