Sticky toffee banana pudding

The English Sticky toffee pudding has to be my most favorite dessert of all time......I will always order that over anything else on a menu. Always.  We visited the English village of Cartmel a few times where a very delicious S T P is made....they even present half marathon finishers with a pudding in that town. Maybe I could be persuaded to run???  In fact Travelling man made one for me once, and that's a big feat for him. This is a variant on the theme, and was enjoyed by us all......

For the toffee sauce
11/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter

For the cake
2 cups flour
11/2 teasp baking powder
11/2 sticks butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large very ripe bananas
11/2 teasp vanilla extract


For the toffee sauce, bring the cream,brown sugar

corn syrup,butter and 1/8 teasp salt to the boil in a pan,stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened and reduced a bit. This can be made ahead...if you dare.....

For the cake...
  Oven at 350. Grease an 8 x 8 metal baking tin.  Whisk the flour,1/2 teasp salt and the baking powder together. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until well blended,then add the eggs, one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla, then add the dry ingredients slowly.

Spread the batter into the tin and bake for 30 minutes or until a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Spread 1 cup toffee sauce evenly over the cake and continue to bake for another 5 minutes,when the sauce will be bubbling thickly.  

And there it is. The rest of the toffee sauce can be served along side.   Even more decadence would be achieved by also serving some sliced bananas on top.

    I know this the first day of Lent, so bad timing on my part for some, but try this one when you can!!