For absolutely no reasons other than I Wanted It and It Sounded Good and Also I Had Two Sad Bananas and Didn’t Want To Make Banana Bread, earlier this fall I got really caught up in making sticky toffee banana puddings, except by pudding I mean British for cake or sometimes a steamed cake and sometimes just the dessert course entirely (did I do this right? please help your confused American friend). Sticky toffee pudding is usually made with dates and almost every person I’ve ever told that to who has had it but doesn’t peruse recipes for fun and entertainment (crazy!) has found that baffling, but indeed, there are dried dates that have been soaked and blended until smooth and added to a lightweight brown sugar and butter cake that is ladled — I mean, truly soaked — with a warm toffee/butterscotch sauce and an enormous spoonful of unsweetened whipped or clotted cream and sometimes sprinkled with a few flakes of sea salt and it’s just unbelievably, unforgettably decadent.
This is that, but for bananas. Yet this is resolutely, indignantly not banana bread. There is no cinnamon nor nutmeg. I wanted this to taste like a cozy winter cake so there’s dark brown sugar, vanilla, and even a spoonful of molasses or treacle for extra gravitas, trust me, it works here. It’s blissful with the sauce and the cream and, no matter what else you make on New Years Eve, be the only thing people are still talking about the next day. (I mean, unless your behavior is particularly legendary, in which case, the cake will happily cede the spotlight.)
The Year In Smitten Kitchen
I love finding out what your favorite recipes of each year have been and this one did not disappoint, truly the first year that a savory recipe has triumphed over a baked good. So, let’s hear it for this crispy rice bowl that I still crave every time I have leftover rice — I don’t blame you at all. You can view all 16 recipes from this page or individually below.
2. ultimate zucchini bread
3. cinnamon sugar scones
4. cauliflower and tomato masala with peas
5. chicken curry
6. perfect meatballs and spaghetti
7. plush coconut cake
8. salted caramel pretzel blondies
10. strawberry summer sheet cake
11. braised ginger meatballs in coconut broth
12. corn salad with chile and lime
13. simplest spaghetti al limone
14. exceptional grilled chicken
15. crispy tofu pad thai
16. chocolate puddle cakes
Previously: Best of 2018 (Savory, Sweet), Best of 2017 (Savory, Sweet), Best of 2016 (Savory, Sweet).
I want to say, because I don’t think I do often enough, what a treat and an honor it is to have this website still going after all of these years (13-plus of them, whoa) I’m not tired of cooking yet, I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of all of the things I want to learn how to make or at least simplify to the point that I might actually do it at home on the regular, and I feel very lucky I get to hang out with you when I do. Happy new year; I hope you have the best one yet.
Banana Toffee Cake
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 1/2 cup (95 grams) packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses or treacle
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup (170 grams) mashed bananas (2 medium bananas, or about 12 ounces unpeeled)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, well-shaken
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
- 1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream, divided (half for sauce, half for whipping)
- 1/2 cup (95 grams) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to finish
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake
Sauce and finish
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla until combined. Add mashed banana and whisk again. Add eggs and whisk until incorporated, then buttermilk. Sprinkle baking soda and baking powder on batter and whisk until combined and then (don’t skip this), 10 to 20 more times, ensuring that it very well dispersed in the bowl. Add flour and mix only until it disappears. Divide batter between 12 cups.
Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out batter free.
While the cakes bake, make the toffee sauce: Combine butter, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and sugar in a larger saucepan than you think you’ll need over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes — the mixture thickens slightly. Add a couple pinches of salt and vanilla.
… And whipped cream: In a medium-large clean bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream with an electric or you-powered whisk until it forms soft peaks. Don’t add sugar to this; I promise it does not need it.
To serve: Remove one warm cake from the muffin tin and either plate it dome side-up or you can cut the dome off the cake with a serrated knife and serve the cake upside-down, as shown. (You can use the cake tops to pacify hangry people in your kitchen.) Ladle the cake generously with the toffee sauce, finish with a big dollop of the cream and a few flakes of sea salt. Repeat with remaining cakes.
Do ahead: I find whipped cream keeps for many hours in the fridge without a problem, but if you’re worried, you can use this trick to keep it for several days. The sauce keeps for a week or two; it can be reheated in about 20 seconds in the microwave, just until it liquefies, or back on the stove in a small saucepan. The cake keeps for 3 to 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container before seeming stale to me. If you can gently rewarm it before serving, all the better.
thanks for still having this website up and running, and for being so frequent and generous with your cooking! my mom was at my house for christmas and we were talking about cookbooks and ended up discussing–as i frequently do–just how spot-on and accessible your recipes are, how we both turn to SK more than we do pretty much any other recipe resource. so a big and ongoing thank you from some general non-commenters. <3
What could I substitute for bananas? I’m allergic to them.
I bet this would be amazing with applesauce… Like a toffee apple cake.
Thank you! I was about to ask what I could substitute for the bananas. 🙂
You should make sticky toffee pudding — with dates!
Maybe pawpaw’s if you can get them?
I love that you made these muffin size for individual portions, I’ve never thought to do that when making STP.
I agree with Hannah above, whenever I need recipe inspiration or have some ingredients that need using SK is always my first port of call. There are so many recipes from your site that are now in my regular rotation that not a week goes by without an SK meal. Thank you for keeping it up so long and for the continual quality in recipes and writing! Long live Deb!
Thanks for another year of great recipes. I can’t count the number of times I’ve made something for others, only to have them rave and ask “Where did you get the recipe?”.
My answer is way, way more often than not “Smitten Kitchen.”
Thanks, Deb! I was making a different banana cake to use up four sad bananas and didn’t want to use their suggested glaze. Surfing Instagram while it bakes and this perfect solution is in my feed. Now I have to go make sauce!
You are a definite go to resource for things yummy and interesting for me as well, to echo the previous commenters. I did the winter squash pancakes not long ago and they were such a happy revelation! :)
Happy New Year!
Deb, the end of the year is a good time to say thank you for this amazing website, one of my favorites. Thank you for creating delicious things (so many of them have become staples in our household), and for photographing them beautifully, and for your patience and good humor in answering questions. (Also the newsletter – I would have missed the 31 days of beans without it.)
So – you’re a treasure! Best wishes for you and your family for the New Year!
Did you say I have to make this for NYE? Done.
I have made 8 or 9 of the “year’s most frequented” recipes on your list, all of them more than once…one even weekly. The chicken curry, corn chowder with cotija and lime, and also the recipe with steak, tomatoes, cucumber and vermicelli rice noodles were game changers in my kitchen! Thank you for your fantastic blog and for the two equally loved cookbooks on my shelf.
Thank you so much for all that you do, I reckon I cook at least one SK recipe a week, they’re so reliable and delicious. Anytime I want to bake I turn to you first! Happy New Years to you and your family :)
I JUST made a double batch of jacked-up banana bread this morning and now I’m out of ripe bananas :( Will definitely make these soon – thanks for all you do, Deb! Happy New Year!
Deb
I so appreciate your delish recipes. Both my copies of your books are stained from frequent use with comments such as “excellent” written on the pages.
And I add to previous commentators who use your website first when seeking out new or urgent recipes to use up ingredients.
May the year ahead be a healthy and happy one for you and your family.
With gratitude
Judy
Another big thank you from someone who never actually comments! I’m not a big recipe-follower, but I gain so much inspiration and practical kitchen wisdom from your blog, and every now and then, I do actually follow your recipes :) They are perfect, every time.
Keep up the fantastic work, and I hope 2020 is another wonderful year for you and your family.
Seconding Ruby’s sentiments – I rarely follow a recipe these days, but if I do, the odds are good it’s one of yours. I’ve been reading since the beginning and thanks to your willingness to experiment with technique, I’ve learned more than I should know about deconstructing other people’s recipes to make substitutions or decide whether half of the million fiddly steps can safely be skipped (and if so, which half!).
The Food Network taught me how to make a recipe, but it was you, Deb, who taught me how to *cook*. Thank you for everything you do.
Thank you for all you do! Your blog is increasingly my go-to for holiday and other potluck ideas.
This year, Thanksgiving featured your stuffing and Christmas your sweet potatoes with pecans & goat cheese. New Years will include your tortillas de patatas (which I already made this month for a Spain-themed gathering; I’m excited to do it again in a smaller pan for better form factor). You are a welcome addition to my kitchen!
Also…I feel like you must know of it, but if you don’t know about Banoffee Pie I will feel awful for not mentioning it. Have you experienced it? I actually never have and would be delighted if it becomes one of your future posts!
i love banoffee pie! my daughter and english son in law had them at their wedding instead of cake! would love a great recipe – i promised to add that to my thanksgiving desserts next year.
Banoffee pie is great. The ultimate trick is to use mashed bananas in the crust as well as the sliced ones. The other day I dropped the crust (digestives/butter) as I was getting it out of the oven and the only way to salvage it was to mix the salted caramel layer with it… I ended up making a Banoffee trifle which has now become my British husband’s preference. No sliding caramel sauce layer :). The BBC good food recipe isn’t bad as a base recipe.
I’d like to join the other grateful commenters – thank you Deb for years & years worth of top-notch recipes & tips!
Was trying to decide on what treat to make for NYE – am interested in a “demon cake” on a different site but also craving a banana-based dessert so I popped over to Smitten Kitchen. Lo and behold, my banana craving in sticky toffee pudding form! Thank you as always, Deb. This warm little corner of the Internet is one of my favorite places. Happy New Year!
Happy (almost) New Year Deb!
Thank you for helping me onto the path of being a capable home gourmand! It started with your broccoli (and then cauliflower) fritters and then I discovered your delectable mushroom soup! From there, I discovered a multitude of recipes that are relatively easy and full of flavor. Thank you for your recipes which are always accompanied by a warm introduction of your life and what inspired you along the way towards the final recipe. I love your balance of brevity and helpful suggestions. Thank you!
Just made this for my New Year’s Eve potluck. I didn’t have molasses so I subbed for golden syrup. Used light brown sugar in place of all the dark brown sugar. Also put a slice of banana at the bottom of each muffin so it looks really pretty when inverted. Tastes delicious!
Thoughts on making this in those mini Le Creuset cocottes? They hold 13 oz but thinking I would use roughly 2 cupcakes worth of batter in each. Thinking I would cut the recipe in 1/3 for two people. Is it still worth it and do you think it would work? Looks amazing!!
I haven’t baked in them but don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Baking time is probably not terribly different; I’d still check in at 14 minutes.
Very stoked right now that I have all the ingredients to make this tomorrow because it looks amazing!
Just reading this and looking at those lovely photos, I’m already trying to figure out if I’ll have time to make them along with everything else that needs doing. . I’m Brit born although grew up in Canada, and assorted Christmas puddings ( flames and all ) with pouring custard or date or fig puddings with sticky sauces ( thanks to my British raised Mother and Grandparents) were always served for dessert. Admit my sibling and I didn’t like Grandma’s fig puddings much but you’d never dare say so!
Happy New Year to you and your family!
Love your column and recipes! You are such an authentic writer. Keep it up!
I’ve been reading this blog ever since I was in high school and finding my way around a kitchen. I’m nearing 30 now and it’s still my go-to resource for cooking anything. Thanks so much for all your hard work on this!
I’m forever recommending this website to others because it’s such an approachable and reliable source of wisdom :D
Deb! Happy new year to you & yours, and thank you for this kind, warm corner of the internet. Your site is my go-to when I need to figure out what to do with the random ingredients in my kitchen, but what I look forward to is your posts/newsletters. I enjoy reading them regardless of the applicability of the particular recipe. Thank you!
Any thoughts on making this recipe gluten free?
Bob’s red mill 1-1 flour is terrific and I think would work here. That’s at least what I was thinking of trying!
I made these gluten free – and they were great!
I essentially used the ratio of flour for the Tartine All Day Banana Muffin – ~60g brown rice flour, ~70g almond flour and 100g oat flour.
Deb – thank you so much for all of your excellent recipes and cooking inspiration!
I used Bob’s 1 to 1, and it was delicious
Happy New Year Deb!! You are the best!!!
Deb,
Thank you for another year of inspired recipes.
Deb, speaking strictly for myself, it is a treat and an honor to be able to share in your cooking adventures, to be the recipient of your reliable expertise, and to bask in the great, great pleasure of your smart, humorous, interesting, nice company. And of course, to cook and share so many of your fantastic recipes–a joy in the cooking and in the eating. Wishing you and yours a wonderful 2020 (fingers crossed!). And thank you for 13 years of SK!
Hi Deb, this is my first time leaving a comment after 10-ish years of frequenting your website. It always seemed that other people had already said what I was thinking, but I suppose another long overdue gratitude post won’t hurt. My mother passed away 14 years ago and SK has been my friend and mom in the kitchen all these years. Even my husband would occasionally ask “what does Deb say?”. Thank you for being and so eloquently sharing.
I just about died of excitement when I realized that ALL OF THESE INGREDIENTS ARE IN MY KITCHEN RIGHT NOW. *anticipatory happiness*
Could I sub pumpkin for the banana? Thinking I’d strain it pretty well to reduce the moisture, but I’d love your thoughts.
Also, thank you. Your recipes are excellent, and it’s a joy to follow along! Happy 2020!!
You can do a 1:1 swap. I actually find it can be a little more dry, just because pumpkin is more fiber-y. But it will work.
No biggie, but clicking on the Crispy Tofu Pad Thai link above takes me to a different recipe – the black pepper tofu and eggplant recipe.
Now I just need to decide which meal to bring to a friends’ place this weekend — #5 or # 11 on the best of list!
I’m so so excited to try this out for our NYE gathering tonight! Do you think it’s ok to defrost frozen bananas?
Thank you for all of your magnificent recipes over the years. Happy new year!
Yes, absolutely.
Thanks for this delicious recipe and for another year of great food! I’m excited to try this one tonight, which is making my night of staying in with husband and baby a bit more festive. Your site and cookbook got me back into cooking after a year of survival eating during the early parenting days. Thanks for the inspiration!
Fantastic recipe! Easily cut in half for my small crowd. I topped with vanilla ice cream instead of whipped cream and I have no regrets!
I love this! I bookmarked it a long time ago and made it today. I used pretty tulip liners in the cupcake tin. Took about 21 minutes to bake. Delicious! Thank you..
On the cake vs. pudding question: pudding a moist sponge when cooked; it is always served warm (if not tongue-burningly hot because you have no patience); it always has a sauce (or at the very least, cold cream/icecream, c.f. tongue-burning).
I made this tonight, it was sublime!
Quick update: I made this yesterday for NYE and it was delicious! I made it in an 8×8 inch square pan; it was done at 32 min in my oven (I use a separate thermometer to ensure I’m baking at the recommended temp). I made only one change to the recipe, which was to substitute a splash of bourbon for the vanilla extract in the sauce.
Many thanks to you, Deb. I realized today that it’s coming up to 10 years that I discovered SK; and, since then, it’s become my favourite source for delicious and dependable recipes. Last week, when having friends in for dinner, I realized that all the recipes that I used were yours. ( red cabbage date & feta salad, mushroom shepherd’s pie, and pumpkin puddings), something that’s happening with more and more frequency. I wish health and happiness to you and your family in 2020.
Of course I had to make these after realizing I actually had everything without a trip to the store! Despite the recipe having several components, it comes together quickly and I was done in an hour. My only change was adding chopped toasted pecans when serving–bananas, caramel, and pecans are one of those delicious trifectas! These were incredibly yummy and I will definitely make them again.
Looks great!
I made this for New Years eve dessert. Was very easy to make and impressive. All of the guests loved it. My only tip would be to at least double the sauce, maybe even triple, because it is that good. You will want more!!
Made this for dessert for NYD dinner – halved the recipe and cooked in little pudding dishes. Really good, sauce was lovely (added a splash of rum obviously though!).
Thanks for ALL you do Deb – SK 4 ever!
Actually, all of the Sticky Toffee Pudding that I had previously eaten (from a Scottish Tea Room (similar to Mary Berry’s version)) had been made very similar to this recipe (except no bananas), and without dates of any kind. Instead it had Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Treacle for sweetness, with a caramel sauce over the top. I am not a date fan and have never made any of the versions that I have seen with blended dates because of that. I will, however, try this one because I believe that it will be absolutely delicious!
Hi Caroline
I would urge you to try the blended dates in STP at least once before ruling it out – I don’t think you necessarily ‘taste’ the dates per se, but they add to the moisture and texture and add depth to the toffee fudgey flavour of an STP.
I love STPs and have tried many, many variations – I have a favourite recipe which does have the blended dates, but no black treacle. If I’m ordering STP in a restaurant I’m always bummed if is of the black treacle variety – you can usually tell by the colour. BT gives a metallic, burnt flavour to my mind, really not my taste at all. Golden syrup, on the other hand, is a thing of wonder which can be eaten straight of the spoon, or slathered over hot buttered crumpets, or……mmmmmmmm!
Hey Deb- Think I could sub applesauce for the bananas with any success?
It would probably be fine, but it wouldn’t taste like apples or anything once it is baked
I read your blog on my lunch hour and can’t wait to get home to cook something new. Thank you for such a great blog and tasty recipes.
I usually make sticky toffee pudding in a loaf tin, but doing it in a muffin tin is a great idea.
I always call what comes after the main course – pudding, whether it’s cake, ice cream or a hot steamed pudding.
People in the UK might also say ‘sweet’ or ‘afters’.
Dessert always seems like the most technically accurate description, but I like saying ‘pudding’. It always seems so old fashioned & very English.
Don’t think there’s any rights or wrongs about it – merely personal preference.
I have successfully made sticky toffee pudding in the Instant Pot (I have a proper pudding basin), would this work too do you think? I will compare and contrast the two recipes…
I’ve never done it but don’t see why this wouldn’t work if you’ve had success with stp.
I so appreciate your delish recipes. You are a definite go to resource for things yummy and interesting for me as well, to echo the previous commenters.
Could you freeze this?
My husband has an inability to say no to second helping and and as a diabetic really should
Yes
Hi! I pre-made the sauce and it became more of a caramel than a sauce. Do you think there is a way I can thin it out or should I just remake it?! Always love you and your recipes!!
It should thin when rewarmed.
I’ve made a lot of new things over the last two weeks (yay, food processor for holiday gift!), but it’s this hand-whisked and easily assembled little thing that got an actual exclamation from the 14 year old, and clean plates all around. I have a pile of dates so I did both banana and maybe half a cup of chopped dates (making these a little too big and I should’ve made 13 instead of 12 cakes), but banana remained the prominent flavor. 11/10 would make again!
Honestly if I were to substitute the recipe for my usual banana bread recipe I’m not sure I could tell the difference, but they were very yummy and with the toppings it felt extra special.
I made these today and they were fantastic! My only comment would be to double the toffee sauce recipe! There wasn’t enough to give a generous pour for the 12 servings. Will make this again for sure!
I made this tonight and really loved it. Next time I’ll 1 1/2 the sauce recipe so that I can really drench each cake.
This was delicious. I made it as written almost (didn’t have molasses after all, so added a bit of dark honey). I think it could be a fun party dessert made in mini muffin cups as well.
As a long standing reader from the UK, your definition of the British use of “pudding” is correct. Can be used to describe the sweet dish at the end of a meal, or a dessert type itself. Usually a steamed sponge, or a cake-plus-sauce-made-in-a-single-dish situation. My mother makes a thing called Pudding a la Colbert, which is some kind of baking magic where you put a single batter, heavily lemon fraganced, in the oven and out comes a beautiful light sponge sat on lemon curd sauce. It’s my favourite!
I wonder if “pudding a la Colbert” is what we in America call Lemon Pudding Cake?
A quick google says yes very similar, but no water bath involved, although that might just be a simplification. It’s also just known at home as lemon pudding, so that would make sense. The recipe titled “a la Colbert” in my mum hand written recipe book, which was copied from her mother’s. I think the story was that it was taken from a magazine letter page, having been sent in by a Mrs Colbert, but who knows!
Every year now my 3 kids cook dinner for me on my birthday and this was the dessert they made (my choice.) I love sticky toffee pudding and this sounded similar. Everyone raved about it! It was delicious, not banana-y, a perfect blend of flavors. Thanks again Deb!
Yesss! Thank you: Another banana recipe that is not banana bread! Will add this to the sad banana rotation here. Weirdly, i just made caramelized banana muffins yesterday!
Thanks – this looks fab and I’ll make it the next time I have some overripe bananas. And happy new year!
As others have noted, pudding can either be “dessert,” as in, “what did you have for pudding?” Or it can be the actual cake made with a sauce or steamed in a bowl, as in “sticky toffee pudding.”
The only thing it doesn’t mean is what Americans call pudding – that would more likely be called custard here in the UK, even if it’s chocolate or some other flavor.
I made this! Delish! I’m keeping extras as banana muffins for breakfast tomorrow. I did have to bake mine for 20-22 mins – before that Time they were totally liquid in the center but maybe my oven just sucks! Thanks Deb.
Ack, I have the toffee sauce started on the stove and only just realized it says to add vanilla at the start and the finish. I’m new to wet caramel, hoping it’s not going to make a huge difference — I went with “before”. Fingers crossed! If there is a difference, can you edit for future noobs like me? Thank you. These cakes smell amazing!
Whoops — I’m sorry, that’s a mistake! It should only go in at the end. Won’t ruin anything but the loveliness of the vanilla shows up better at the end.
Thank you! The cakes are brilliant on their own, and the toffee (even prematurely vanilla-ed) is divine and sends it rocketing up into a whole new level. So good.
I made, for the first time, sticky toffee pudding over the holidays, dates and all (actually, it reminded me that I like dates). My picky brother wasn’t crazy about it, but everyone else loved it. I can’t wait to try this! And thank YOU for 13 years – many of my favorite recipes are yours, and whenever I’m looking for a recipe, I think, “I’ll bet Deb ha a recipe for that!”
I made this after I saw it in the newsletter. I had lots of fun baking with my three year old daughter: she became an expert banana masher. She also found out that she likes the taste of molasses, which kind of surprised me. Overall a delicious recipe that I’ll definitely make again for a gathering. You’re my go to website and cookbooks for recipes- your writing is always warm and funny. Thanks for all the fantastic recipes over the years, and cheers to many more.
Made this yesterday, took two servings to my neighbors. She called later to tell me it was the best thing she’d ever eaten, and where did I get that recipe?!
She’s not much of a baker, so I promised to make it again for her.
FYI: I’m gluten intolerant, so I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 baking flour. Cake was moist, with lovely texture.
These were AMAZING! And so easy to make. Will definitely be making them over and over again. We even used the leftover sauce to drizzle over vanilla ice cream. So good.
Thanks for this great blog! I always enjoy the recipes three times – while reading, cooking and eating. Of course, your banana toffee cake was a great success, like all the other recipes I followed. From Berlin with Love,
Reni
DEB PERELMAN. There exists a thing called CHOCOLATE SAUERKRAUT CAKE. Chocolate. Sauerkraut. Cake.
Deb Perelman. Are. You. GONNA?!
Does the cabbage get blended? Should I try a chocolate mayo cake first?
No on both counts, ma’am.
Hi,
I was wondering if you would start giving the nutritional details at the end of your recipes?
It would be a great addition.
Thank you.
I don’t include calorie counts because there are too many variables in my recipes (serving sizes, ingredient choices, etc.) but I use this recipe analysis tool when I want to check information. It’s far more useful than any list I could add at the end of a recipe because it allows you to cut and paste whole recipes, removing or adding any ingredients you’d like and adjusting serving sizes to what you’ll eat or make.
Looks increadible! I really appreciate that you have started to give amounts in ml as well, now I don’t have to keep switch between tabs :)
Hi, Deb,
First, Thank you for sharing your time and talents with the rest of us. Great blog!
Second. Delicious and easy, and going into the lineup when I have sad bananas.
Third. Am I the only one who goofed? I used a standard 12 cup muffin pan, filled 3/4 with batter. The final cakes domed mightily. AND I had enough batter left over to make 7 more cakes. (Who’s complaining about more cake? Not me, certainly.)
Any thoughts what might have happened?
Thanks.
Not sure — my standard muffin cups filled but didn’t overflow at all (as shown). Are you at an altitude?
I made these again. (That surfeit of sad bananas continues….)
I double- and triple- measured the raising agents. I filled the standard muffin cups just under 3/4, trying to avoid the exploding cupcakes. So, naturally, I had a full TWO dozen cupcakes. All were uniformly, beautifully domed and delicious. (Not to worry; nothing went to waste since I shared with the neighbors.)
I’m at sea level – literally at the beach and on the first floor.
This just may have to be filed under ‘delicious mysteries’!
me too! at sea level, measured using weights, and achieved way more batter than a 3/4 full dozen cups could handle. My only thought is that because I’m a lazy cleaner, I’m really very diligent about scraping every last gram out of every bowl as I’m baking, so the dishes are practically clean before I start – and so that my measurements are exact. delicious mystery indeed.
Me too, I had enough batter to fill 13 cups and they almost overflowed – next time I’ll go with 14 or even 15. I did not weigh the bananas, maybe they were a bit on the large side?
Zucchini bread is in the top 5 this year! I tried this food and wine recipe for zucchini bread that changed the way I view this entire genre. Yogurt, toasted walnuts…you get the idea. I’ve been wanting to “share” it with you for a while. https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/yogurt-zucchini-bread-walnuts
Have you made the zucchini bread recipe that’s in the top 5? It’s (of course) my favorite.
wow, yummy banana toffee cake. these is very yummy taste.
Omg. I just made these and they are DIVINE. If I want to make these in the morning for a dinner party what would be the best way to reheat them for serving?
I made these but, instead of the toffee sauce (because they were going to sit out for a while) I made them with bourbon cream cheese frosting. While definitely not the same “sticky toffee” outcome, I highly recommend this as an alternative option!
I pulled these out of the oven about 30 minutes ago and 2 have somehow disappeared already. Best use of smushy bananas ever- absolutely delicious. I need to work on my toffee skills- or buy better quality butter next time, but my 6th grader loved his after school treat,
You were terrific on Genius Recipes!!
I’ve always felt that there is something similar between ripe bananas and dates. All the sweet sweet mush 😋
Hi Deb, hope you are OK. You haven’t posted on your blog for several weeks, so thought I would ask!
I’ve been thinking the same- Morning’s have been not the same without your post. Hope all is well and it’s just a well deserved vacation-
I think she said something about a wedding cake… I am sure she will be back soon
Aw, thank you. I miss updating here! First it was a broken camera. Then I made some mediocre dishes, not worth sharing. And then I made a friend’s wedding cake and it completely took over my life for two weeks. I’ll be back by Monday at the latest with something really delicious, and after that, I’m going to tell you about this wedding cake because it was SO GOOD. And then I’ll never leave you again. :)
Ah thank goodness! I was worried/wondering too. Yay wedding cake!!!!
I was beginning to wonder how to oraganize a blogosphere search party!
So happy to hear this! I was getting worried too, I even found myself googling “where is smitten kitchen” in case someone had inside info! (I did get the chance to read some wonderful Deb articles that I somehow missed, so worth it anyhow :) Wedding cakes are wonderful excuses.
Just read about a new restaurant in Williamsburg, Le Crocodile. They have banana flavored sticky toffee puddings on the menu.
Maybe pastry chef is a smitten kitchen fan too.
This was wonderful–easy, “healthy” (right? Because of bananas and molasses?), and delicious! The cake was so moist, with a more complex flavor than just banana muffins. It did take about 18 minutes to bake, but could have been my oven. Used your butterscotch sauce with a little heavy cream stirred in, since I was too lazy to whip it. The look on my daughter’s face when she tried it was one of transcendence!
This site is my go-to for everything, and I am so grateful for all the hard work you put in and everything you share! Happy New Year!
I admit that I rarely follow recipes, so I will not tell you everything I did to change this (mostly added fiber/oats/whole wheat flour for the AP flour). However! If you use frozen bananas, it is worth your while to thaw them in a strainer that is set inside a bowl, then take all of that liquid and cook it down so it’s syrupy. I think I then melted the butter (which I reduced . . .) into that as well. It further intensifies the banana flavor.
I made this pretty much to the letter except used dry buttermilk and water for the buttermilk and did not cut off the cake domes, just served them as they were. Luscious! That sauce! So, so good! The next day everything is just as yummy if the cakes and sauce are warmed slightly in the microwave, as suggested. Thank you for giving me a new recipe so I can use my frozen bananas!
I forgot to say that I baked them in a silicone muffin pan and it did take about 10 minutes longer to bake completely. My silicone muffin pan is new to me and I find that it does not conduct heat like metal, so takes longer to bake, but no greasing and the muffins pop right out!
I made this with a homemade gluten free flour (similar to cup4cup) and it worked out well. I had to cook it a bit longer, and I put it in a square baking dish, as there was too much batter for the 12 muffin tin (I do live at 2800 feet elevation). It was very tasty, the sauce was amazing (as sugar and whipping cream tends to be). Thank you!
No this doesn’t last 3-4 days. How could it? It’s the most amazing incredibly delicious thing I ever had. Well beside some of your other cakes, granted, but still. I have made some perfectly decent banana bread in my time, and liked it. But nothing has ever made me leer at ripening bananas like this.
Note: threw in an extra banana, because it was there. No other adjustment. Clearly not a problem at all
This was possibly the best dessert that I ever made!
Looks so good!
I need to try this!
I made this in a mini-bundt pan and it turned out great. It’s basically just banana bread, but given the cake treatment. It made 9 mini-bundt cakes for me, and it definiltey puffs up a lot so only dill the pans 1/2-2/3s full.
Absolutely wonderful. It was our Valentine’s Day treat and I couldn’t have chosen a better one. I was so impressed by the cake texture – so soft, unlike any other banana-something I had ever made. They did take a bit longer to bake, say 22-24 minutes and, as I wrote elsewhere, I filled 13 cups to almost overflowing (next time I’ll go for 14 or even 15). Definitely double up the sauce, as we put half of it on JUST TWO little cakes (ahem) and only refrained from using more as we wanted to have some left for today ;)
Didn’t have molasses so substituted with golden syrup. AAAAND added a wee splash of Cardenal Mendoza brandy to the sauce <3
Thanks Deb for another keeper!
I added a little Bourbon to the sauce. With or w/o the Bourbon, it’s an amazing sauce and would be good on absolutely anything. Do yourself a favor and double it.
This recipe has been open in my web browser since the day it was posted! I finally tried it out last night and it was one of the best new desserts I’ve made in a long, long time. Thank you so much for sharing!!
P.S. Your whole lemon bars have been the hit of the office for the last two years – they are requested again and again!
Deb, I love you, and I love your recipes. Your site is my go-to anytime I make anything in the kitchen. But…this was underwhelming. I was expecting something my family would gush over, but that didn’t happen. They liked it of course, but it simply tasted like yummy banana bread with caramel sauce. I guess my expectations were too glamourous. I had been debating between this recipe and your sticky toffee pudding; I think I expected this to be a little gooey-er based on your photos. But I guess that was just the sauce. Anyway I’ll try the pudding next time.
I would settle for really yummy banana bread with caramel sauce right about now!
This sounds amazing! I have two sad bananas and would make this tomorrow, but no cream! And not sure I want to venture out for cream in the present lockdown. But I’m tempted. This is a true dilemma.
What can I substitute for molasses, since it’s not a staple in my pantry?
Lyle’s Golden Syrup. I usually use that instead of molasses, which I don’t like.
It also works as a substitute for corn syrup.
I used golden syrup.
I used a very dark buckwheat honey, thinned with a bit of brandy. And then I subbed the vanilla out with a “butter” emulsion while also browning the butter for the batter. Not quite a perfect match for true sticky toffee, but good brown-bitter-butter notes.
For me, though, there is no toffee note without molasses or treacle in the sauce, so that’s where the molasses went.
I doubled the recipe and made two 9″ layers and then frosted the cake with caramel frosting. I messed up the frosting slightly, but the cake was perfect. :)
I’ve had bananas in the freezer to make this for a couple weeks now, and finally got around to it! Shoot but this cake will make you weak in the knees, it’s a perfect slightly project-y recipe to make one night for dessert, and keep all the parts around for future luxurious enjoyment! (Living by myself this means whipping only a tiny amount of cream at a time, and freezing most of the cakes right away) Another winner, and the cakes don’t even *think* about sticking to the pan!
Very good! We actually had a little fruit miscommunication and rather than the bananas ended up using pears that had been poached for a few minutes to soften. They didn’t mash, but turned out well as did the cake. We did an 8 x 8 pan for about 24 minutes.
Made this once as muffin cups and it came out fantastic! So delicious!
Just made it again, this time in an 8×8 pan. One toothpick poke came out clean, a second came out with a little batter but it looked more like a little glob of banana, so I pulled it out of the oven after about 32 minutes, because the edges were starting to look quite well-done. Unfortunately: the middle was *not* done. I put foil around the edges, put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes and got it to an acceptable point.
Will just stick to making it as individual cakes from now on.
I just made this and it was amazing!! I love all your recipes!
What if I don’t have buttermilk and can’t get any?
Half a year late, but I usually mix 1tb vinegar or lemon juice per cup of milk and let it stand. Hope that helps in your future baking endeavors!
Delicious!! Thank you for sharing.
Delicious, delightful, easy to put together! Sadly, my toffee separated when reheated in microwave. Any thoughts on how to prevent that from occurring?
Not nearly enough toffee sauce to ‘ladle generously’ – it definitely needs to be doubled, commenters!!
For whatever reason, mine ended up having that “too much baking powder” taste, but as I don’t see any other comments about it, it may be my faulty measuring spoons and abilities. Either way, the cake (I didn’t have muffin pans) was not quite banana-y enough for my tastes, though my boyfriend loved it. Next time, I will probably use my favourite banana muffin recipe. The overall combination, however, and especially the toffee sauce, was excellent; definitely going down in my recipe book for later use.
Growing up, traditional Xmas desserts were just as critical as whatever dish or side-dish so-and-so was famous for. We had trifle, mince tarts, and a steamed pudding, plus custard and ice-cream, every single year. When I ask people what their family’s traditional Xmas desserts are, and they say, “oh, we just put out a tray of baking”, I’m all like, “whhhaaaa..t??!?!”. Anyway, whatever camp you are in, make this banana toffee cake. It’s our new traditional dessert. But, whatever…Make it for New Year’s, for your birthday, or make it for breakfast. And don’t make my mistake by making only a half recipe for the sauce. Btw, I mixed the wet ingredients (and made sauce) the day before, and added raising agents and flour the next day just before baking. Baked in a 9” round pan for about 35min. Ate warm with vanilla ice cream. I can’t wait till my birthday :)
Sooo I made this, on the occasion of it being a dark and dire moment for the nation, except that I didn’t have any dairy in the house except for sour cream. so I thinned some sour cream with a few drops of water and used it in place of 1. the buttermilk in the cake 2. the cream in the toffee sauce AND 3. the cream on top.
readers…….it was…utterly…spectacular.
These are gorgeous. Half disappeared before I made the sauce. So moist and full of treacly banana flavour.
I made this as printed. The cakes came out delicious, and the toffee sauce was as decadent as it was easy to make! A perfect non-chocolate dessert to celebrate a birthday that falls so close to Valentine’s Day! Thank you!
What do you think about making this with very ripe plantains? I don’t mind if it’s less sweet…
They have less moisture, so other adjustments will be needed.
I made these as a non-traditional birthday cake… and oh. my. god. I’m in a lot of trouble. And I’m currently oven ripening some bananas so I can make another batch because I know I’m going to eat all of these before the party. Amazing as usual, Deb!
What if….there was a bananas foster element, and it was served On Fire? Just a thought.
Do you have buttermilk on hand all the time? I live in Canada and I think it’s more an American thing (buttermilk pancakes, buttermilk biscuits, etc.). I had a bit of difficulty finding it the last time and I hate being stuck with the remains of a litre staring at me from the fridge as it goes bad. Is there a work around for buttermilk? What does to do in a recipe?
This recipe sounds amazing and I will make it as written at some point, I promise!
Yes, there are easy swaps for buttermilk. I’ve listed some here.
Very nice cake recipe
The banana candy dish you shared is delicious. very attractive taste. I will save the recipe to learn how to make this dish.
This recipe introduced the kiddos to the concept of sticky toffee pudding, and they LOVED it. It was also a simple enough recipe that they could help make it, which probably produced even greater appreciation on their part – and as one noted: it has bananas, so we made healthy dessert 😜 We were out of dark brown sugar so had to sub light brown, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly, baking the muffin/pudding for about 19 minutes total. Turned out amazing, 10/10, has already been requested as a future birthday dessert!
Can confirm that replacing one banana with dates of equal weight (removing the stone, chopping and soaking for 1/2 hour before starting to assemble the cake) makes for the perfect Sticky Toffee Pudding. Love this. Thanks so much, Deb.
Ya, these are fabulous.
Go ahead and make ’em.
This was delicious! Made as is and it turned out great, a fairly easy yet fancy-seeming dessert for our Easter dinner. I’d make the toffee sauce alone again, that was incredible