Banoffee Loaf with Anzac Crumble

. April, 2015
Photography by Claire Aldous.
Banoffee Loaf with Anzac Crumble

A lovely moist banana loaf studded with chunks of toffee gets topped with an Anzac biscuit crumble. For total indulgence serve with the whiskey salted caramel sauce (bowl of cream optional) and enjoy with friends!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups plain flour
1 cup light muscovado sugar (I used Billington's)
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
100 grams brittle toffees, roughly chopped (I used Wethers original)
⅓ cup rice bran oil
2 x #7 eggs (large), lightly beaten
2 cups roughly mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
¼ cup sour cream or yoghurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Anzac topping
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup desiccated coconut
⅓ cup plain flour
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
70 grams butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup
½ teaspoon baking soda

22cm x 12cm loaf tin, greased and fully lined with baking paper


Whiskey Salted Caramel
¾ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons water
½ cup cream
pinch sea salt
1 tablespoon whiskey or rum, optional
75 grams diced butter at room temperature

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake

Topping: Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. 

Melt the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan. Add the baking soda and stir together until it foams up and becomes pale and light. Tip onto the dry ingredients and stir together. Set aside.

Cake: Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the toffees in a large bowl. Whisk the oil, eggs, bananas, sour cream and the vanilla together. Pour into the flour mixture and fold together to combine.

Tip the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Scatter the Anzac topping lightly and evenly over the top. Don’t press it into the batter. 

Bake for 30 minutes then cover the top with foil to prevent it over-browning and bake for a further 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the tin.

Cut into thick slices and serve dusted with icing sugar or with a drizzle of the whiskey salted caramel sauce and a dollop of cream. Makes 1 loaf.


Whiskey Salted Caramel

Put the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, making sure all the sugar has dissolved before it boils. Wipe down any stray grains of sugar from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. 

Cook until the sugar turns a deep golden colour, gently swirling the pan so it colours evenly. Take off the heat and immediately add the cream, taking great care as it will bubble up furiously.

Add the salt and whiskey if using and stir until smooth then leave to cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time until the sauce is thick and glossy. Transfer to a bowl and cool.