The Ultimate Easy & Moist Banoffee Cake Recipe: A Heavenly Banana & Toffee Delight
Prepare to be enchanted by this incredibly easy, unbelievably soft, and perfectly moist banoffee cake. It’s a symphony of flavors and textures, featuring a rich banana cake base, lusciously fluffy whipped cream, decadent homemade toffee sauce, and beautifully caramelized banana slices. This recipe simplifies the art of baking with a one-bowl banana cake that consistently delivers a moist and tender crumb, making it an ideal choice for both novice and experienced bakers alike. For an even quicker preparation, feel free to use your favorite store-bought caramel sauce, toffee sauce, or dulce de leche to complete this stunning dessert. This banoffee cake isn’t just a treat; it’s an experience, promising a delightful blend of sweet banana and rich toffee in every bite.
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Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Banoffee Cake Recipe:
- Effortlessly Easy: The banana cake itself is a dream to make, coming together in just one bowl. No electric mixer is required – a simple whisk is all you need to achieve a perfect batter. This means less cleanup and more time to enjoy the baking process.
- Unrivaled Softness and Moisture: Every single time, this cake bakes up incredibly soft, wonderfully fluffy, and exceptionally moist. The carefully selected ingredients ensure a consistently tender crumb that practically melts in your mouth, making it a truly irresistible dessert.
- Luxurious Toffee Sauce: Crowned with a rich, silky, and utterly delicious homemade toffee sauce, this cake offers an authentic banoffee experience. Its deep caramel notes perfectly complement the sweet banana, creating a harmonious flavor profile that’s truly addictive.
- Double the Banana Delight: We embrace the banana flavor from top to bottom! Not only is the cake base infused with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas, but the top is also adorned with beautifully caramelized banana slices, adding both flavor and a delightful texture.
- Fluffy, Stabilized Whipped Cream: Topping off this masterpiece is a generous layer of light, airy, and stabilized whipped cream. Despite its elegant appearance, it’s surprisingly easy to prepare, holding its shape beautifully and adding a cool, creamy contrast to the richness of the cake and toffee.
Secrets to the Best Banana Cake Base
The foundation of an extraordinary banoffee cake lies in its banana cake base. The key ingredient here is overripe bananas. You want bananas with plenty of brown spots, or even entirely black peels. These bananas are packed with natural sugars and a concentrated banana flavor, which translates into a sweeter, more aromatic, and incredibly moist cake. A helpful tip is to peel and freeze your bananas as soon as they reach this ideal stage of ripeness, ensuring you always have perfect bananas on hand for baking.
Beyond the bananas, this particular banoffee cake incorporates melted butter and sour cream. Melted butter ensures a dense, rich flavor and a tender texture, while sour cream adds a crucial element of moisture and a subtle tang that beautifully balances the sweetness. The acidity in sour cream also reacts with the leavening agents, contributing to the cake’s fluffy rise and maintaining its incredible softness.
For those who crave an even more intense toffee flavor and an exceptionally moist cake, consider an optional step: soaking the banoffee cake with a simple toffee syrup. This syrup is easily made by whisking together a bit of milk and your homemade toffee sauce. This step allows the cake to absorb additional moisture and a deeper toffee essence, resulting in an even more decadent experience. However, if you prefer a less saturated cake texture, feel free to skip this step without compromising the deliciousness of the cake.
Crafting Your Own Irresistible Homemade Toffee Sauce
The heart of this banoffee cake is undoubtedly its luscious toffee sauce. We’ve designed this recipe to feature a slightly thinned-out toffee sauce in the middle layer, creating a dramatic, delicious cascade when you slice into the cake. This “spill-out” effect isn’t just for show; it enhances the sensory experience, promising a generous coating of rich toffee with every forkful.
Making homemade toffee sauce is surprisingly straightforward and incredibly rewarding! You only need a handful of staple ingredients: granulated sugar, butter, heavy cream, a pinch of salt, and a touch of vanilla extract. The process involves gently cooking the butter and sugar together over low heat until they caramelize into a beautiful golden hue, filling your kitchen with an enticing aroma. Once caramelized, the heavy cream, vanilla, and salt are whisked in. A quick simmer brings everything together, and as it cools, you’ll be left with the silkiest, most flavorful toffee sauce imaginable, far superior to any store-bought alternative.
Expert Tips to Prevent Toffee Sauce from Crystallizing and Splitting
While homemade toffee sauce is simple, a few common pitfalls can lead to a less-than-perfect result. Here are crucial tips to ensure your toffee sauce turns out perfectly smooth and glossy every time:
- Maintain Low and Slow Heat: The most important rule is to cook your butter and sugar mixture on medium-low heat. Resisting the urge to crank up the heat will prevent the sugars from crystallizing and separating. High or fluctuating heat can cause the mixture to split, resulting in a chunky, undesirable texture. Patience is truly a virtue here.
- Gentle and Frequent Stirring: Begin by whisking the butter and sugar together thoroughly when you first combine them. After that initial whisk, switch to stirring very gently with a spoon. Focus your stirring on the edges and bottom of the pan to ensure even heating and prevent any part from burning. Frequent, gentle stirring is necessary – this sauce needs a bit of “babysitting” to stay perfectly smooth. While it requires attention, the actual process is quite simple once you get the hang of it.
- Rescuing a Split or Crystallized Sauce: Don’t despair if your toffee sauce splits or crystallizes! It’s often salvageable. Simply continue cooking the mixture, stirring gently, until it becomes a golden color. Be extra vigilant at this stage, as it can burn more easily. Once it’s golden, carefully add the cream and bring the mixture back to a simmer, stirring continuously. The warmth and moisture from the cream will help dissolve any sugar crystals and lumps, bringing your sauce back to a smooth, cohesive consistency. Once dissolved, pour it into a heat-safe jar or container and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Time-saving tip: To streamline your baking process, you can prepare the toffee sauce a few days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble your banoffee cake. This makes the assembly day much quicker and more enjoyable!
Delicious Alternatives to Homemade Toffee Sauce
While homemade toffee sauce is truly special, we understand that sometimes time is short or the thought of making it from scratch can feel daunting. But don’t worry, you can still achieve that incredible caramel-banana flavor profile with excellent alternatives! Here are some fantastic substitutes you can use:
- Dulce de Leche: This would be my top recommendation if you’re not making your own toffee sauce. Dulce de leche is a thick, rich, caramelized milk confection that pairs absolutely perfectly with bananas – they are truly a match made in heaven! It will be a bit thicker than a typical toffee sauce, but its deep, milky caramel notes are utterly delicious and work flawlessly in this banoffee cake recipe.
- Caramel Sauce: Another excellent option is a classic caramel sauce. You can either opt for a high-quality store-bought caramel sauce for convenience or, if you’re feeling adventurous, try making a homemade caramel sauce. Caramel provides a universally loved sweet and buttery flavor that beautifully complements the banana cake and whipped cream.
- Butterscotch Sauce: If you’re looking for something with a slightly different nuance, butterscotch sauce is a wonderful choice. It often has a richer, almost butter-rum like flavor, and some find it easier to make than traditional caramel or toffee. If butterscotch is more to your taste, you might want to explore this recipe for an easy butterscotch sauce to use in your banoffee cake.
Essential Ingredients for Banoffee Cake Success
While the full list of steps and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below, take a moment to read through these key ingredient tips to ensure your banoffee cake turns out absolutely perfect!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: For a stable and voluminous whipped cream and a rich toffee sauce, always use heavy whipping cream with a minimum of 35% milkfat. Creams with lower fat content simply won’t whip up properly or hold their shape.
- Unsalted Butter: Opt for good quality unsalted butter for the best flavor in both your cake and toffee sauce. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content precisely. Salted butter can make the delicate balance of flavors in your homemade toffee sauce too salty.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream: This ingredient is a secret weapon for an incredibly moist and flavorful banana cake. Full-fat sour cream provides essential moisture and richness without making the batter too wet. Avoid using low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, as their higher water content can negatively impact the cake’s texture.
- Bananas: You’ll need two types of bananas for this recipe. For the cake batter, use very ripe, spotty bananas; their intense sweetness and soft texture are perfect for mashing and infusing the cake with deep banana flavor. For the caramelized banana topping, select slightly less ripe bananas (still firm with some yellow) to prevent them from becoming overly soggy during the caramelization process.
- All-Purpose Flour: Accuracy in measuring flour is paramount for a tender cake. The most reliable method is to weigh your flour using a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, stir the flour in its bag to aerate it, then gently spoon it into your measuring cup without packing it down. Level off the excess with the flat edge of a knife.
- Cream Cheese (for frosting): For the stabilized whipped cream frosting, use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. This type of cream cheese has the lowest moisture content and provides the best structure for your frosting. Ensure it’s very soft (at room temperature) before mixing to guarantee a smooth, lump-free blend. If cream cheese isn’t your preference, an equal amount of mascarpone cheese can be used as a delicious alternative.
Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Your Silky Toffee Sauce
Achieving a perfect homemade toffee sauce is easier than you think. Follow these steps for a luscious, rich sauce:
Step 1 – In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, gently melt the unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Once fully melted, add the granulated sugar. Whisk the mixture well until it’s thoroughly combined and begins to thicken slightly, forming a gloopy consistency.
Step 2 – Continue to heat the mixture on medium-low, stirring very gently and frequently with a spoon. It’s crucial not to stir too vigorously, as this can encourage crystallization. Focus on stirring the edges and the bottom of the pan to ensure even heating and prevent any part from scorching.
Step 3 – Keep stirring until the mixture transforms into a beautiful golden color and emanates the distinct aroma of caramelized sugar. At this point, carefully pour in the heavy cream, whisking continuously until the sauce becomes smooth and homogenous. Stir in the pure vanilla extract and sea salt until fully combined.
Step 4 – Bring the toffee sauce back to a gentle simmer for about a minute. Then, carefully transfer the hot sauce into a clean jar or a heat-safe container to cool. As it cools, it will thicken further. If you desire a thinner consistency later for drizzling, you can whisk in an additional tablespoon or two of cream.
Step-by-Step Guide: Baking Your Perfect Banana Cake
This one-bowl banana cake is the foundation of our banoffee creation. Follow these simple steps for a moist and flavorful cake:
Step 1 – Begin by preheating your oven to 355°F (180°C). Prepare an 8-inch or 9-inch round baking pan by lightly greasing it with a dab of cold butter. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and large eggs. Whisk vigorously for about 30-60 seconds, until the mixture thickens slightly and lightens in color, becoming pale and creamy.
Step 3 – Add the sea salt and pure vanilla extract to the mixture, whisking briefly to combine. Then, pour in the melted and cooled unsalted butter, followed by the sour cream. Whisk everything together until just incorporated and smooth.
Step 4 – On a separate plate, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. Measure out exactly 1 ¼ cups of mashed bananas and add them to the wet ingredients in your bowl. Whisk until the bananas are evenly distributed.
Step 5 – Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder directly into the same bowl as your wet ingredients. Using a spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until no dry streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake.
Step 6 – Pour the prepared batter evenly into your greased and lined baking pan. Smooth the top with your spatula. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, indicating it’s fully cooked.
Step 7 – Once baked, allow the banoffee cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. This cooling period helps the cake firm up and prevents it from breaking. Run a knife or thin spatula carefully around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a plate or a wire cooling rack on top of the pan and, with a swift, confident motion, carefully flip the cake over to release it. Peel off the parchment paper and let the cake cool completely on the rack before frosting or assembling.
Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Perfect Caramelized Bananas
Caramelized bananas add a beautiful finish and an extra layer of flavor to your banoffee cake. Here’s how to make them:
Step 1 – Take your slightly less ripe bananas and slice them on an angle into ¾-inch thick pieces. This diagonal cut provides more surface area for caramelization. Gently roll each banana slice in brown sugar, ensuring it’s evenly coated.
Step 2 – Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the butter and let it melt until it’s shimmering. Carefully place the brown sugar-coated banana pieces into the melted butter, cut side down, in a single layer.
Step 3 – Cook the banana slices for a few minutes on each side until they are beautifully caramelized and golden brown. Keep a very close eye on them, as the sugar can burn quickly. Once caramelized, transfer the banana pieces to a plate and let them cool completely before arranging them on your cake.
Step-by-Step Guide: Fluffy Whipped Cream Frosting
This stabilized whipped cream frosting is light, airy, and holds its shape beautifully. Here’s how to make it:
Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened full-fat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and pure vanilla extract. Whisk or mix with a spatula until the mixture is completely smooth and free of any lumps. Set aside.
Step 2 – In a separate large, chilled bowl (chilling the bowl helps the cream whip up better), pour in the cold heavy whipping cream. Whisk the cream, either by hand or using an electric mixer, until it reaches medium-stiff peaks. This means the cream will hold its shape when you lift the whisk, but the tip will still curl slightly.
Step 3 – Gently add the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form. The frosting should be firm and hold its shape perfectly. Use this fluffy frosting to top your cake immediately for the best results.
Step-by-Step Guide: Assembling Your Banoffee Cake
Now for the exciting part – bringing all the delicious components together to create your showstopping banoffee cake!
Step 1 – (Optional for an extra moist cake) For an added layer of moisture and toffee flavor, use a skewer to gently poke holes all over the cooled cake, pushing it about halfway through. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of your prepared toffee sauce with 4 tablespoons of milk (or water) until smooth. Brush this syrup evenly over the top of the cake, allowing it to soak in for a few minutes.
Step 2 – Generously top the cake with your fluffy whipped cream frosting. Using a spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the entire top surface of the cake. Create a slight “well” or depression in the middle with raised edges around the perimeter – this will be where your glorious toffee sauce resides.
Step 3 – Check the consistency of your cooled toffee sauce. If it has become too thick, you can thin it out by whisking in an additional tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it reaches your desired pourable consistency. Carefully fill the well you created in the center of the banoffee cake with this decadent toffee sauce.
Step 4 – Finally, artfully arrange your cooled caramelized banana slices on top of the toffee sauce, typically in a beautiful semicircle pattern for visual appeal. Your magnificent banoffee cake is now ready to be sliced and served! For an even richer experience, offer extra toffee sauce on the side for guests to drizzle over their slices.
Frequently Asked Questions About Banoffee Cake
While all three are sweet, rich sauces, their distinct flavors and textures come from slight variations in their preparation, particularly in the order and type of sugar used:
Caramel sauce: This is made by first cooking granulated sugar until it caramelizes into a golden-brown liquid. Only after the sugar has caramelized are the dairy components (cream and often butter) added to create the sauce. It has a classic, pure caramelized sugar flavor.
Toffee sauce: For toffee, both sugar and butter are cooked together until they reach a golden, caramelized stage. Heavy cream is then whisked in at the end. Toffee typically has a richer, deeper flavor profile due to the brown butter notes and often appears glossier than caramel.
Butterscotch sauce: Butterscotch differs by cooking all the main ingredients—sugar (often brown sugar), butter, and cream—together from the start until a thick sauce forms. The use of brown sugar gives butterscotch its characteristic deep, molasses-like flavor, often considered the richest and most complex of the three, sometimes with a subtle butter-rum undertone.
To ensure your caramelized bananas maintain a firm texture and a delicious outer crust, follow these tips: First, make sure you’re using bananas that are not overly ripened for caramelizing. They should be firm but ripe enough to be flavorful, as very soft bananas will turn mushy quickly. Second, generously coat each banana slice in brown sugar; this sugar layer helps create a crispy, caramelized exterior. Lastly, cook them on medium-high heat. This allows the sugar to caramelize quickly on the surface without overcooking the inside of the banana, keeping them from becoming too soft and soggy.
If your bananas aren’t ripe enough for your cake, there are a couple of tricks to speed up the ripening process: The simplest method is to place them in a sealed paper or plastic bag, ideally with an apple or another ripe fruit. The ethylene gas emitted by the fruit (and the bananas themselves) will be trapped, accelerating ripening overnight. For an even faster method, you can bake unpeeled bananas in the oven on a low heat (around 250°F or 120°C) for about 15-30 minutes, or until their peels turn entirely black. Let them cool, then peel and mash as the recipe requires. This method softens them and sweetens their flavor quickly.
Yes, you can absolutely prepare parts of this banoffee cake in advance. The banana cake layers can be baked a day or two ahead, cooled completely, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, and stored at room temperature or refrigerated. The homemade toffee sauce can also be made several days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. For the best texture, the whipped cream frosting and caramelized bananas are best made and assembled just before serving. However, if you need to fully assemble the cake ahead, it will keep well in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days. Note that the caramelized bananas might soften slightly over time.
Leftover banoffee cake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator to maintain its freshness and prevent the whipped cream from spoiling. It will keep well for up to 3 days. While the cake remains delicious, the caramelized bananas may soften a little over time due to moisture. If you anticipate having leftovers, you might consider caramelizing a fresh batch of bananas for serving each time, or simply storing the caramelized bananas separately and adding them just before serving.
Discover More Delicious Recipes:
- Butterscotch Blondies with Butterscotch Cream Cheese Frosting
- Red Velvet Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Swirl
- Salted Caramel Cake with Blackberries
- Biscoff Cake
Happy baking, and enjoy every delightful bite of your homemade Banoffee Cake!
Did you make this incredible recipe? We would absolutely love for you to rate it and share your thoughts in the comments below! Don’t forget to show off your beautiful creation on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. For more inspiring recipe ideas and baking tips, make sure to follow us on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Banoffee Cake
Mary
Pin Recipe
Shop Ingredients
Equipment
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eight inch round baking pan (three inches high) You can use a 9″ baking pan instead
Ingredients
Toffee Sauce
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream optional, to thin out toffee
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Banana cake
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ¼ cup bananas mashed (about 3-4 medium bananas)
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour (300g)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Caramelized Bananas
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 bananas not overly ripened
- ¼ cup brown sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Shop Ingredients on Jupiter
Instructions
Toffee sauce
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Melt butter in a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add sugar once melted. Whisk well to combine (it will become thicker).½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup granulated sugar
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Heat on medium-low heat, stirring gently and frequently with a spoon. If you stir too vigorously, it will split. Focus stirring on the edges and bottom of the pan to prevent burning.
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Keep stirring until it becomes a golden colour and smells like caramelized sugar. Carefully pour in the cream, whisking until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, whisk to combine.½ cup heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
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Bring the toffee sauce back to a simmer. Then carefully pour into a jar or heat safe container to cool. Once cooled, you can thin out the sauce with more cream if you want a thinner sauce.¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Banana cake
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Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C). Grease an 8” or 9” round baking pan with a bit of cold butter and line the bottom with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars and eggs. Whisk until thickens and lightens in colour, about 30-60 seconds.¾ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 3 large eggs
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Add salt and vanilla, whisk to combine. Pour in melted butter and sour cream, whisk.¼ teaspoon sea salt, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, ⅔ cup unsalted butter, 1 cup sour cream
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Mash the bananas on a plate with a fork. Measure the amount to get 1 ¼ cup and add into the rest of the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine.1 ¼ cup bananas
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Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder right into the same bowl. Fold until no more dry streaks of flour remain.2 ½ cups all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder
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Pour batter into the greased and lined baking pan. Smooth the top and bake for 50-60 minutes – until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
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Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife or spatula around the edges to help release. Place a plate or cooling rack on top and carefully flip it over, releasing the cake. Peel parchment paper off and let cool completely.
Caramelized Bananas
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Slice bananas on an angle into ¾” thick slices. Roll each banana slice into brown sugar.2 bananas, ¼ cup brown sugar
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Heat a non-stick or cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pan. Carefully place the banana pieces into the melted butter, cut side down.2 tablespoons butter
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Cook to caramelize each side, flipping in between. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Let them cool on a plate.
Whipped Cream Frosting
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In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Whisk or mix with a spatula until smooth.4 oz cream cheese, ½ cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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In a large chilled bowl, whisk the whipped cream until medium-stiff peaks. You can use a mixer or do this by hand.1 cup heavy whipping cream
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Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream and whisk until stiff peaks. Top the cake immediately.
Assembly
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(Optional for an extra moist cake) Using a skewer, poke holes all over the cake, pushing it about halfway through the cake. This will help it absorb more liquid. Whisk 2 tablespoons of toffee sauce and 4 tablespoons of milk or water until smooth. Brush it over the top of the cake. Let sit for a few minutes to soak in.
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Top with whipped cream frosting. Spread it all over the top of the cake, making a well in the middle with raised edges.
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Check the consistency of the toffee sauce. If you want it to be thinner, add more cream – 1 tablespoon at a time.
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Fill the middle of the cake with toffee sauce. Arrange cooled caramelized banana pieces on top in a semicircle pattern. Slice and serve with more toffee sauce.
Video
Notes
If you don’t want to make your own toffee sauce, you can use premade (store bought) dulce de leche, caramel sauce, or butterscotch sauce.
For an extra moist cake, poke holes all over the cake with a skewer, pushing it about halfway through the cake. This will help it absorb more liquid. Whisk 2 tablespoons of toffee sauce and 4 tablespoons of milk or water until smooth. Brush it over the top of the cake. Let sit for a few minutes to soak in.