Banana Toffee Cakes

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled slightly

1/4 teaspoon sea or table salt fine

1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon molasses or treacle

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs large

2/3 cup bananas mashed (2 medium bananas, or about 12 ounces unpeeled)

1/2 cup buttermilk well-shaken

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold is fine

1 cup heavy cream divided (half for sauce, half for whipping)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to finish

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

oven

muffin tin

large bowl

electric whisk

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 12 standard muffin cups in butter or with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla until combined. Add mashed banana and whisk again. Add eggs and whisk until incorporated, then buttermilk. Sprinkle baking soda and baking powder on batter and whisk until combined and then (don’t skip this), 10 to 20 more times, ensuring that it very well dispersed in the bowl. Add flour and mix only until it disappears. Divide batter between 12 cups.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out batter free.

While the cakes bake, make the toffee sauce: Combine butter, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, and sugar in a larger saucepan than you think you’ll need over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes — the mixture thickens slightly. Add a couple pinches of salt and vanilla.

In a medium-large clean bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream with an electric or you-powered whisk until it forms soft peaks. Don’t add sugar to this; I promise it does not need it.

To serve: Remove one warm cake from the muffin tin and either plate it dome side-up or you can cut the dome off the cake with a serrated knife and serve the cake upside-down, as shown. Ladle the cake generously with the toffee sauce, finish with a big dollop of the cream and a few flakes of sea salt. Repeat with remaining cakes.