BANANA & ICE CREAM CAKE

This idea came from eating great vanilla ice cream at Jelberts in Newlyn, Penzance.

Serves 8

For the banana cake l 200g (7oz) softened

salted butter, plus extra l 200g (7oz) caster sugar l 2 ripe bananas l 3 eggs l 200g (7oz) self-raising

flour

For the filling l 2ltr (3½pt) vanilla ice

cream, softened slightly l 300ml (10fl oz) double

cream

For the topping l 500g (1lb 2oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up l 1tbsp salted butter l 200g tub of clotted

cream

Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm round, deep springform tin. To make the cake, cream the butter and sugar in a mixer or with an electric hand whisk. Beat in the bananas, then the eggs. Sift in the flour, then fold with a metal spoon.

Spoon the batter into the tin and bake for 40 minutes. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Leaving the lining paper on the cooled cake, transfer it to a board and slice horizontally into 3. Place the lined bottom layer of the cake back in the tin and spoon half the ice cream evenly on top. Place the middle layer of cake on top, then spoon the rest of the ice cream on. Place the last layer of cake on top.

Whip the double cream to stiff peaks and spread all over the cake, then freeze for 4 hours or until firm. When ready to serve, melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Place the cake on a rack over a tray and pour the chocolate all over (any excess will drip into the tray). The topping will set on contact. Spoon the clotted cream on top, put on a serving plate and rest for 15 minutes before slicing.