Sticky Toffee Banana Cake
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This warm and comforting banana cake is loved by kids and adults alike.
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
This warm, comforting banana cake is a twist on the classic English dessert, sticky toffee pudding—which is not really pudding at all, but rather a moist cake made with finely chopped dates covered in a sticky toffee sauce. Though it looks impressive, it’s easy to make, and it’s one of the most loved desserts on my website. In fact, one reader wrote to me that she came across the recipe looking for a bake-off contest cake. Trusting the reviews, she made it without doing a trial run and just entered it into the contest. Much to her delight, she won!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Sticky Toffee Banana Cake
Step-by-Step Instructions
It’s important to use overripe bananas. The browner and spottier, the better. Begin by mashing them in a bowl, then set aside.
Next, whisk together the dry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar.
Beat until combined.
Then add the mashed bananas, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.
Beat until combined.
Then mix in the dry ingredients.
Transfer the batter to a greased and floured 8-inch square baking dish.
And bake for 35 minutes, until golden.
Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce by combining the butter, heavy cream, corn syrup and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.
Gently boil the sauce, whisking occasionally, until thickened to a syrup consistency, about 15 minutes. If it seems too thin, don’t worry, it will thicken more as it cools. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the toffee sauce over the baked banana cake.
And return to the oven to bake until bubbling, about 6 minutes.
Let the dish cool on a rack, then slice into squares when ready to serve.
Warm the toffee sauce and spoon generously over top. Top with fresh banana slices and chopped pecans, if desired. Enjoy!
Note: The idea for this recipe came from a sticky toffee banana pudding featured in Bon Appetit years ago. I tried the recipe as written but found the cake much too heavy and dense. The banana cake that I’ve used is actually a light and cake-like banana bread baked in a cake pan instead of a loaf pan; it’s much better! The toffee sauce has been modified as well.
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Sticky Toffee Banana Cake
This warm and comforting banana cake is loved by kids and adults alike.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1¾ cups cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup very ripe mashed bananas, from 2-3 spotty bananas
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Toffee Sauce
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pinch salt
For Serving
- Sliced perfectly ripe bananas
- Chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8x8-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the melted butter and sugar until blended. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract and mix well.
- On low speed, stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Bring the heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a boil in a heavy small saucepan over high heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle boil, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. It should be the consistency of maple syrup -- it will continue to thicken as it cools. Remove the sauce from the heat and cool.
- Spoon ⅓ cup of the toffee sauce over top of the baked banana cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling vigorously, about 6 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for at least 30 minutes. Cut the cake into 9 squares or 12 rectangles. Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature with warm toffee sauce and top with sliced bananas and pecans, if desired.
- Note: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill; then rewarm slightly before using. If it seems too thick, add more heavy cream to thin it to desired consistency.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen (without the toffee sauce) for up to 3 months. Bake the cake for 35 minutes, let it cool completely, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw on the countertop the night before you plan to eat it. Before serving, place the cake back in the oven with the toffee sauce and proceed with the recipe from there.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice (nutritional data includes sauce but not optional toppings)
- Calories: 402
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated fat: 13g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Sugar: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 231mg
- Cholesterol: 95mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Just finished baking smells amazing. Can I leave out for tomorrow or should it be refrigerated? (Preparing all “Jenn’s” recipes this thanksgiving !!)
Storing at room temperature is fine for this one. Hope it tastes as good as it smells– happy Thanksgiving!
What does the lemon juice do it the recipe?I completely forgot about it :(.. hope it comes out fine
Hi Sheba, the lemon juice is included in the cake as an acid to help activate the baking soda (to help the cake rise). I hope the omission didn’t make a big difference.
Hi Jenn
WOW WOW WOW
How good is this dessert, sublime, sweet and sensuous.
Each mouthful surprises you, from the cakes incredible lightness that’s moist with a caramelised toffee edge.
Follow this with a warm sticky sauce, that’s well balanced and keeps you coming back for more.
Served warm or room temp both delight.
Thanks Jen, your recipes never fail to please.
Regards Mike
Hi Jenn
I have been wanting to post this review for a very long time but just couldn’t get to it. You had suggested this cake for my daughter’s birthday and it was a super hit. My younger one, who just shuns away cakes was devouring it and asking for more of it, that itself tells you how delicious and yummy the cake was. Thank you for such a great recipe and for your suggestion. The sauce was her all time favorite.
Cake is awesome. I noticed another reviewer mentioned his sauce came out grainy and thick. Mine too, and i also used half and half instead of heavy cream. The sauce still tastes good, but it never bubbled on the cake and it looks weird – I wouldn’t serve it to company. So, if anyone else out there is wondering, be sure to follow the recipe as stated.
Sidenote, surely i can eat an extra piece since I’m not using much of the sauce? 😉
Just wanted to let you know that I came across this recipe while looking for a bake off contest cake. I didn’t have enough time to do a trial run so I just made it and entered it into the contest without tasting. I actually forgot the bananas and pecans for the top at home as well. Just wanted to let you know i WON the contest!!! Everyone raved about it- Thanks!!!
That’s so cool, Jill! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
I made this for company and had to give everyone the recipe before they left! This is a real gem!
With respect to the syrup for the banana cake: after following the instructions mine came out thick and somewhat “grainy” rather than smooth and runny like maple syrup.
Now, I used table cream rather than the so-called heavy, whipping variety as that’s what I had on hand; could that be the problem or did I do something else “wrong”?
Thanks, Jenn, your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
PS the cake itself…deliciously good!!!
Hi Alan, It could be the substitution of the table cream or you may have overcooked it just a bit.
Hi Jenn
I am going to make this cake for my daughter’s birthday as you had suggested and since she also liked it. Do you think I can use turbinado sugar in place of dark brown sugar for the sauce.
Madhuri.
Hi Madhuri, It might work but this type of sauce can be finicky so I wouldn’t want to take the chance. Sorry!
Saw your post and happened to have 3 over ripe bananas during the blizzard! Great timing. This was easy (for a non-baker) and SO good! Thank you.