Banana Cake with Caramel Sauce Recipe

The cake is light in texture when served warm and slightly more dense at room temperature. Overripe bananas make the best banana cakes.

If you have leftover caramel sauce, it's delicious served warm over vanilla ice cream. You can store the sauce in the fridge or freezer.

For accuracy, we use digital scales to weigh ingredients. We use eggs that weigh at least 60 grams (including shell).

Preparation time: about 40 minutes (excluding baking cooling times)

185g butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt)
245g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
150g sour cream (about 35 percent fat)
225g self-raising flour
320g mashed banana (about 3 large bananas)

Caramel Sauce
225g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
62g water
250g cream (35–40 percent fat)
100g butter, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Move the oven rack to the lower half of the oven so that the top of the cake will be in the centre of the oven. Grease a 24cm diameter round springform pan and line the base and side with baking paper.

With an electric mixer or electric beaters, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed until the mixture is pale and creamy (about eight minutes). Stop the machine once or twice during beating to scrape down the side and base of the bowl with a spatula.

Add one egg to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Repeat with another egg. Stop the machine and scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the last egg, beating on medium speed for another minute. The mixture may look curdled at this stage, which is fine.

Add the sour cream and beat until just combined (about 10 seconds). Scrape down the side and base of the bowl.

Add the flour and beat on low speed for a few seconds.


Add the banana and stir together until just combined.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for about 55–60 minutes, until a skewer or thin-bladed knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out without any batter attached.

While the cake is baking, make the caramel sauce.


Put the sugar and water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring once the sugar has dissolved. Allow the syrup to bubble, swirling the saucepan occasionally to distribute the caramelising sugar. The syrup will change from clear to a nice amber colour. We find that this takes about 12–18 minutes. The caramel can burn very quickly, so keep a close eye on it. As soon as it reaches dark amber, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cream. It will bubble up so be careful. Return the saucepan to low heat and stir the sauce until smooth. A small amount of undissolved caramel may remain stuck to the spoon or saucepan. Add the butter and stir until it has melted. Remove from the heat and set aside until required.

Serve cake warm with caramel sauce and ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

If you want to make the cake and/or sauce in advance, you can store the cooled cake and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge. When ready to serve, slice the cake into pieces and place on serving plates. Top each piece of cake with a couple of spoonfuls of sauce and microwave until warmed through. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au