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Sticky Toffee Banana Cake

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By Jenn Segal
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This warm and comforting banana cake is loved by kids and adults alike.

sticky toffee banana cake

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

Cake ingredients including dark brown sugar, baking powder, and eggs.

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.

Fork mashing bananas in a bowl.

Next, whisk together the dry flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Whisk in a bowl of dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar.

Melted butter and sugar in a bowl.

Beat until combined.

Electric mixer beating butter and sugar.

Then add the mashed bananas, eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.

Eggs, bananas, and vanilla in a bowl with a butter mixture.

Beat until combined.

Electric mixer beating a banana mixture.

Then mix in the dry ingredients.

Electric mixer beating dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

Transfer the batter to a greased and floured 8-inch square baking dish.

Baking pan of cake batter.

And bake for 35 minutes, until golden.

Banana cake in a baking pan.

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.

Whisk in a sauce pan of toffee sauce.

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.

Banana cake topped with toffee sauce.

And return to the oven to bake until bubbling, about 6 minutes.

Toffee sauce bubbling on a banana cake.

Let the dish cool on a rack, then slice into squares when ready to serve.

Banana cake missing a slice.

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.

sticky toffee banana cake
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)

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Sticky Toffee Banana Cake

Metric Cup Measures
By Jenn Segal

This warm and comforting banana cake is loved by kids and adults alike.

Servings: 9-12

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8x8-inch baking dish.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

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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Comments

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  • Hello! Do you think I could double the recipe and bake it in a 13 x 9 dish? I would much prefer that than having to buy another 8 X 8 baking dish. Thanks!

    • Yes, I-Rod, that should work – enjoy!

      • Thank you so very much! I doubled the recipe, baked it in a 9 x 13 glass dish, and it came out perfect. I also doubled the amount of toffee sauce, of course. My friends raved about it. I can’t wait for the release of the cookbook!

        • So glad it turned out well! 🙂

        • I jenn i would like to make this 9×13 pan too.i wan to make it double.
          How long will take?
          What’s going to be the temperature?
          Thanks again

          • Hi Fanny, I’d cook it at the same temperature for 40 to 50 min.

            • — Jenn

          • Thanks so much Jenn
            You’re awesome.
            I’ve been making all your recipes. They are the best!!

            • — Fanny

  • I had two spotted bananas I had to use up. This was delicious and the toffee sauce spectacular. Husband had about 4 pieces

  • Can i use thick cream instead of whipping.cream?

    • — Willanie cawaling
    • Reply

    • Yes, Willanie, I think that should work. Enjoy!

  • Hey Jenn,

    thanks for all your marvellous recipes. I’ve come to depend on your site for recipes for really any occasion.
    Also, I am really happy that you have started posting your recipes in metric units as well at some point.
    But, having made the Sticky Toffee Banana Cake this past weekend, I’d like to say that 1 cup of mashed banana is not equal 375 g. It took me 3.5 bananas to reach 375 g but because it looked to be a massive amount I then filled it into a cup, and hat a good 100 g leftover.
    So, for mashed bananas: 1 cup = 275 g..
    Well, we just went and had your banana pancakes with our afternoon tea 🙂
    What would have been the result, had I added the additional 100 g of mashed banana to the batter?

    But still, great cake!

    Thanks, Anna

    PS: Will your cookbook be cup measures only, or also include metric units?

    • Hi Anna, Thanks for your feedback! I rely on various sources for my metric measurements and obviously that was off! I’ve updated the recipe and I apprciate you bringing it to my attention. And to answer your question, I think the bread would’ve likely been a bit heavy and wet with the additonal 100 grams of banana. Glad you found a use for them!

  • Hi Jen
    What would be the best way to get a head start on making this for company? If I make the cake the day before is it best to make the toffee sauce right before they come and pop it back in the oven? Thanks
    Tina

    • Hi Tina, This cake keeps really well so I’d just go ahead and make it completely ahead of time and then warm the cake and the sauce before serving.

  • Thoughts on making this 3 days before I need it? I can put sauce over it each day it’s in the fridge. Thanks for your help Jenn!

    • Hi Jelena, it should keep just fine for 3 days if stored in the fridge. No need to pour the sauce over it while you store it.

    • Hi, can this be baked in a 9 inch round pan? If so does anything in recipe need to be changed.

      Also is there a dairy free option for the toffee sauce?

      Thanks
      Linda

      • Sure, Linda, a 9-inch round pan will work with no adjustments. And there’s not really a way to make the toffee sauce dairy-free. Instead, I’d look for a recipe specifically for dairy-free toffee sauce. Hope you enjoy!

  • This has become a family favorite for birthday cake choices. That’s a testament to how good this combo is-i never would have imagined banana cake as a top contender for special occasions but this entire recipe is that good!

  • This recipe is spectacular! I’ve got a gas oven, so I had to bake it longer than suggested (~45 min), but it came out perfect! Definitely my new go-to recipe for banana bread. And the toffee sauce….omg. It’s heaven!!! I’m in the uk so I substituted golden syrup for corn syrup (which doesn’t seem to be a thing here). I could have eaten the sauce straight out of the pan!

  • Amazing !! Great spin on the traditional banana bread that I’m kinda tired of making ! Tastes best warmed up slightly the sticky toffee makes this unique and yummy . So quick to make ! Directions on point ! Only change I made was that I added chopped pecans into the batter

  • How do I make this dessert with metric weights instead of American cups?

    • Hi Julia, This recipe actually has the ingredient amounts in metric as well. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Enjoy the cake!

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