STICKY BANANA TOFFEE PUDDING WITH SOY CARAMEL

The first bite of this pudding may well result in an exuberant ‘aaah’, such is the beauty of the golden crumb of this magnificent cake. Soy sauce caramel soaks deep inside the banana sponge, adding moisture and soy’s savoury complexity. It’s a dessert worthy of a celebration and lasts for several days in the fridge. Reheat in a few seconds in the microwave (or a few minutes in the oven, covered in foil).

SERVES 10–12 PREP & COOKING TIME

45 MINUTES

H 150g caster sugar

H 50g coconut sugar or brown sugar

H 300g ripe bananas (2 medium), peeled and thoroughly mashed

H 125ml flavourless oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed, plus extra for greasing

H 4 large eggs

H pinch of fine sea salt

H 225g plain flour

H 1 tsp ground turmeric

H 1½ tsp ground ginger

H 3 tsp baking powder

H 30g crystallised or uncrystallised stem ginger, finely diced (optional)

H ice cream, whipped cream or clotted cream, to serve

SOY SAUCE CARAMEL

H 80g unsalted butter, cubed

H 100g dark brown soft sugar

H 60ml double cream

H 3 tsp light soy sauce

H 1 tsp dark soy sauce

H Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Lightly grease a 20 × 30cm traybake tin (see tip) and line it with baking parchment, allowing some overhang on each side so that you can easily lift it out of the tin after cooking.

H Put the sugars, mashed bananas, oil, eggs and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together with electric beaters for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined.

H Sift in the flour, ground spices and baking powder and fold them into the mixture with a spatula until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the sponge is just firm and springy to the touch (a skewer should come out clean when inserted at the centre).

H Make the soy sauce caramel while the cake is baking. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm gently on a low heat. Stir the ingredients together once the butter has melted, and continue to cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving jug. Set aside and keep warm.

H When the sponge is cooked, make lots of holes in it with a thin skewer and slowly drizzle 120ml of the soy sauce caramel over the top, ensuring the sponge is covered evenly in the sauce.

H Sprinkle with the ginger, if using, and leave for 10 minutes to soak up the sauce. Carefully lift the cake out of the tin and cut it into squares. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or cream and an extra drizzle of the remaining soy sauce caramel.

TIP I use a 20cm x 30cm traybake tin. If yours is a different size, shorten or lengthen the cooking time slightly (longer for a smaller tin, shorter for a bigger one).