Banoffee layer cake

Prep Time: 0:15

Cook Time: 0:00

Serves: 6

Ingredients / Shopping List

300g digestive biscuits

150g butter

1 400g can caramel

3 bananas

Juice of half lemon

250ml whipping cream

Milk chocolate buttons

or chocolate curls

Prep to Cook: 25cm loose base flan tin, small pan, polythene bag, rolling pin, mixing bowl, tablespoon, chopping board, knife, basin, lemon squeezer, Hand-held food mixer, spatula, dessert spoon, grater

Prep: Make Banoffee layer cake in easy stages:

1. Prepare the biscuit crumb base

Melt the butter gently in the pan ( or put in the microwave for 20 seconds)

Put the biscuits in a polythene bag and bash the bag with the rolling pin.

Check the crumb is fine and then pour in the melted butter and mix.

Tip the crumbs into a loose base flan ring and smooth it out using the back of a spoon.

Shape some of the mixture up the sides of the flan ring to form a wall.

2. Prepare the filling:

Open the can of caramel and spoon it over the biscuit crumb base.

Make it an even layer.

Peel and slice the bananas and sprinkle then with lemon juice

Toss them around in the bowl to coat all surfaces of the banana slices.

Place the banana over the caramel to form an even fruit layer

3. Prepare the topping:

Whisk the whipping cream until it stands in peaks

Spoon over the banana layer in rough piles

Grate the milk chocolate to create curls to sprinkle over the cream..

Chill and serve.

Check it out!

This pie recipe was created Nigel Mackenzie and Ian Dowding in East Sussex in the1970’s. The name ‘Banoffee’ combines banana and toffee.

Recipe Science

Cooks Know How: This recipe is easy assembly, no cook. It requires skills such as crushing, melting, mixing, slicing, coating and spreading. It is a lovely recipe to make with younger children who can help. The biscuit crumb base is created by combining the crumbs with melted butter which then sets and holds the crumbs together and gives it rigidity. No added sugar is required as the biscuits contain sugar. No cooking is required either as the biscuits are already baked.

The filling is caramel, pre-manufactured in the can which just needs to be spread over the biscuit crumb base. Adding lemon juice to the sliced bananas helps to prevent browning. This enzymic browning occurs when fruits like banana and apple are cut into segments or slices. The lemon also adds acidity to prolong shelf life.

The cream topping uses whipping cream with 40% fat. It is lighter than double cream with 54% fat. The cream should form very soft peaks over the bananas and not be over-whipped. Finishing techniques with milk chocolate curls are decorative and also add flavour.