I should start by mentioning that this lovely trifle started out as a severely under-cooked cake. I think it was the worst I’ve done … in terms if timing. The first day of school break Sylvie really wanted to bake from a new book titled Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey (great title, right?) We picked this yummy sounding banana rum cake (we happened to have 3 extra bunches of bananas in the house do to a Fresh Direct delivery mistake!) She mashed the bananas, broke the pecans into bits, and measured and played with the flour. While we baked, we talked about not wanting to fight when she is a teenager. But I really screwed up. The cake felt done, looked nice and brown, but I must have been distracted with all the kids about and pulled it from the oven way too soon. As I inverted the cake, I knew. It clumped out a
big messy heap onto my wire cooling rack. Determined to figure out a way to salvage the dessert, I glazed as instructed then gave it some thought. I happened to have heavy cream in the fridge and many more bananas on hand, so I whipped the cream, sliced the bananas, broke off the cooked pieces of cake and layered it all in a pretty glass bowl. The cream, the fresh bananas, the wet rummy banana cake and pecans all mixed together were delicious. Really and truly. (You can keep as a cake and it is equally as good! Just bake it thoroughly – obviously.) Enjoy-
banana rum trifle (or cake) adapted from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor:
cake–
1 1/4 cup chopped pecans (toasted please. preheated 350 degree oven for 4-6 minutes. until fragrant)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
5 large eggs, room temp
1 cup mashed ripe bananas – about 3-4 bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons dark rum
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
rum glaze–
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark rum
1/4 teaspoon salt
trifle ingredients–
about 3 more bananas
1 pint heavy cream, whipped. see freshly whipped cream for help.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans if you haven’t already. Spray a 10 inch tube pan with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the toasted pecans in the bottom of the pan and set aside.
Beat the butter and sugars with paddle attachment on medium high speed until light and fluffy – about 4-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition and scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
Beat in the mashed bananas, vanilla and the rum. Remove from mixer.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and fold it into the wet ingredients. Fold in the sour cream and the chocolate chips (if using).
Spoon and spread the batter over the prepared pan and pecans. Bake in the center of the oven for 60-80 minutes – until a toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs. (I removed mine after 52! What was I thinking?). In the meantime make the glaze…
For the glaze, combine the butter, water and sugars in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium high heat. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the rum and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the salt. Set aside.
When the cake is done, let sit on rack for about 5 minutes. Then poke holes all over the bottom of the cake and pour about 1/4 cup of the warm glaze over the holes. Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes more and then invert cake onto a serving dish. Spoon the remaining glaze over the cake, a little at a time. Keep going until the glaze (or most of it) is absorbed. If it falls and pools onto the plate, just scoop up with a knife or spoon and place on cake again. (If you have extra sauce hold onto it – it is great with vanilla ice cream!)
Let cake cool completely, the glaze will harden and it is yummy. The cake will last 2-3 days if covered well.
If you are making the trifle, let the cake cool. Whip the cream, slice the bananas and layer in a glass dish (preferable). If you have extra glaze you can layer that in as well. Place in the refrigerator let sit for an hour and serve. Enjoy-
