Special Banana's Foster Cake Recipe

MY FAVORITE CAKE RECIPE!  Shouty capitals on a Monday, you ask?  YES!  This one is worth screaming about.

Banana's Foster Cake...  let me tell you about it.  Four moist layers of rum soaked cake, one layer of thick caramel sauce and 2 layers of sweet buttercream frosting.  It's so good it's like the Easter Bunny and Santa all rolled into one!

Start by making your caramel filling.    

Bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk to a boil while stirring. 

Continue to stir until the caramel reaches 238 degrees F, or the soft ball stage.

This caramel recipe makes way too much for what we need in this cake, but that is never a problem for me because it freezes well too.

I always forget to get pictures of the simple syrup making.  It's simple.  Happy place - go there.

Prepare the cake recipe and divide batter evenly into two 8" round cake pans.  

While the cakes are cooling, make your buttercream.  My two favorite buttercreams are posted here. 

Torte and soak the cakes in the rum simple syrup.

Don't forget to make a buttercream dam before adding the caramel filling or else it will spill out the sides of the cake. 

Frost the cake as you see fit.  I topped mine with a chopped pecans.

Now GO, make this cake, or I will start shouting at you again.

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Thick Caramel Sauce

From Cake Central Magazine

Printable

1 cup unsalted butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring.

Carefully stir in heavy whipping cream.

Attach a candy thermometer to your pan.  Continue to stir until the caramel reaches 238 degrees F, or the soft ball stage.  Remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. 

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Rum Simple Syrup

Adapted from Confetti Cakes Cookbook

Printable

½ cup water

½ cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons dark rum

Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan, stirring.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  When the syrup comes to a boil, remove it from the heat, add dark rum and allow to cool.  When cool, simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Banana Cake

Adapted from Food.com

Printable

1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe

2 teaspoons lemon juice 

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 1/8 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Garnish

chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 325°.  Line two 8” round cake pans with parchment paper and spray with pan spray. 

In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachments, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add 2 tsp vanilla.

Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

Stir in banana mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.