THREE-LAYER BANANA CAKE

LIGHT muscovado sugar adds a toffee flavour to this simple, all-in-one vanilla sponge.

Makes 1 large cake

For the sponge

175g (6oz) unsalted butter, softened

150g (5½oz) golden caster sugar

25g (1oz) light brown muscovado sugar

175g (6oz) self-raising flour

3 medium eggs, at room temperature

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk, at room temperature

For the filling and topping

300ml (½ pint) whipping cream, chilled

100g (3½oz) vanilla fudge, in 5mm (¼in) chunks

2 ripe medium bananas, thinly sliced

Extra fudge and/or grated chocolate, to serve

1 Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/350f/ gas 4. Grease and line the cake tins with butter and baking paper. If you only have one tin, bake in batches. Simply rinse the hot tin under cold running water to quickly cool it after baking, then dry, re-grease and line before filling again.

2 To make the sponge, put the butter, both sugars and flour into a large bowl or the bowl of a food mixer.

3 Break the eggs into a smaller bowl, add the vanilla extract and milk, and beat with a fork until just mixed. Pour into the larger bowl with the butter and flour, then beat with a wooden spoon or the whisk attachment until smooth and blended with no streaks. Divide the sponge mixture into three, either by eye or, if you want to be more accurate, by weight. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tin or tins.

4 Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until the cakes are a light golden brown. Have a look at them after 15 minutes and if they aren’t baking evenly, turn the tins around. Check your cake is cooked by pressing it — the sponge should be just firm to the touch.

5 Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the sponges, then turn out on to a wire rack. Leave until cool. Put a bowl and whisk (or whisk attachment) in the fridge to chill.

6 When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the filling and topping. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and whip with the chilled whisk or attachment, until it thickens and soft peaks form when you lift the whisk out of the cream.

7 Set one layer of sponge crust-side down on a serving plate. Spread with one-third of the whipped cream, then scatter over half the fudge. Top with half the banana slices, then cover with a second sponge. Spread half the remaining cream over this sponge and scatter over the rest of the fudge, then cover with the remaining banana slices. Set the last layer of sponge on top, crust-side uppermost, and spread with the remaining cream. Decorate with extra pieces of fudge, grated chocolate or both.