Sticky Banana Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Ingredients (serves 20)

• 5 large bananas
• 1 2/3 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
• 250g butter, softened
• 5 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 1 1/3 cups buttermilk

• Toffee sauce

• 1 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 300ml thickened cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced. Grease a 5cm-deep, 20cm x 30cm (base) baking pan. Line with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang at long ends. Thinly slice 2 bananas diagonally. Mash remaining bananas (you’ll need 1 1/2 cups). Sprinkle pan base with 1/3 cup brown sugar. Arrange banana slices over sugar.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Sift flour and spice over mixture. Stir to combine. Add mashed banana and buttermilk. Stir until just combined. Spread over banana in pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack.
4. Make sauce: Place caster sugar and 3/4 cup cold water in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high. Bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in cream (be careful, as mixture will spatter). Return to heat. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until smooth.
5. Cut pudding into squares. Serve with sauce. To reheat cake, microwave single pieces on high (100%) for 20 seconds.

Notes

• 
  To reheat sauce, place in a heatproof jug and microwave on medium (50%) for 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, or until warm.