Banoffee Tumbler Trifles!!

Hey everyone,

I know hardly been any time since my last post, but I'm attempting to post all of my post unchristmassy before Christmas, so posts may briefly be more regular!
As some of you may have noticed, I'm very interested in the Great British Bake Off, and others may remember a past winner - Francis Quinn. Last year she released a recipe book called "Quintessential Baking" which I have, and it's really good! It has different takes on common bakes, such as vanilla cake (Victoria Sponge!), carrot cake, lemon cake and so on... In particular, it was a version of a banana cake which caught my eye that looked especially fun to make - Banoffee Tumbler Trifles!

It's a mixture between a banoffee pie and a trifle, two classic British puddings! They are served in tumblers individually and look spectacular as an end result, with a banana and pecan cake base, soaked in rum.
They do take a very long time to make, due to all the different layers in it, though they can be made in advance. (Or you can cheat and buy a caramel and/or a custard from your local supermarket!)

Banoffee Tumbler Triflers - From "Quintessential Baking"

Makes 4 Trifles

For the Custard

• 200ml Double Cream
• 2 Egg Yolks (at room temperature)
• 20g Caster Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Cakes

• 50g Muscovado Sugar
• 50g Very Ripe Banana Flesh (from about 1/2 medium banana)
• 1 Egg (at room temperature)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
• 50g Self-Raising Flour
• 50g Pecans

For the Caramel

• 50g Golden Syrup
• 50g Caster Sugar
• 100ml Double Cream
• Pinch of Salt, optional

To Decorate

• 50g Hard Banana Chips
• 50ml Dark Rum
• 300ml Double Cream
• 4 Small, Medium-Ripe
• 50g Butterscotch Chips
• Cocoa Powder, to dust

1. If your're making your own custard, pour the cream into a medium saucepan and set over a gentle heat. Bring to just below simmering. Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a medium heatproof bowl. Add the hot cream to the bowl, whisking all the time to combine all the ingredients.

2. Immediately pour the mixture back into the pan, using a heatproof plastic or silicone spatula to get it all out the bowl. With the spatula, or a wooden spoon, stir over a gentle heat until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spatula/spoon. Pour the custard back in the bowl and cover the surface directly with clingfilm to stop a skin forming. Leave to cool.

3. Next make the cakes. Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees Centigrade/160 Degrees Centigrade Fan/Gas Mark 4. Put the four muffin cases into the muffin tin.

4. Using a hand-mixer electric whisk (it's tricky to beat this small quantity in a free-standing mixer), beat the butter and sugar together for 5 - 10 mins or until the mix is very light and creamy and takes on a pale cafe-au-lait shade.Put the banana flesh in a bowl and smush it into a puree using a fork or spatula.

5. Gradually add the egg to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as you go. Should the mixture look like it's starting to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour. Sift the flour into the mixture and fold it in until just combined. Finally, stir through the pureed banana and chopped pecans.

6. Spoon the cake mixture into your four cases, dividing it equally, and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until the cakes have risen and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer, still in the paper cases, to a wire rack to cool completely.

7. Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce. Weigh the golden syrup into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the surface of the golden syrup. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally with a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon, until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook gently for about three minutes or until the syrup has become a rich amber colour.

8. Remove from the heat and pour in the double cream, stirring as it bubbles up to thoroughly combine everything. Add the salt if you are creating a salted caramel. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool.

9. Once the cakes and caramel have cooled, you can assemble your trifles. Set aside four of the best looking banana chips and break the remainder into small pieces - do this with a sharp knife or your fingers.

10. Remove the banana cakes from their cases and cut or crumble them into bite-sized pieces. You will use one cake per tumbler: put the cake pieces in the base of the tumbler and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of rum. Press the cake down with a spoon and set aside to soak.

11. Meanwhile, use a hand-held electric whisk to whip the double cream to soft-to-medium; set aside. Cover the cake in the tumblers with the caramel, dividing it evenly. Scatter the broken banana chips over the caramel.

12. Cut the fresh bananas into 5mm slices - you will be using one banana per trifle, so you might find it easier to work on one trifle at a time. Arrange some of the banana slices around the inside of the tumbler, pressing the slices up against the side so the whole slice is visible. Put the remaining banana slices within the ring of upright banana.

13. Next, cover the bananas with the custard, dividing it equally among the four tumblers. Use a spoon or a small palette knife to smooth the surface of the custard. Keep back a few butterscotch chips to decorate the trifles; scatter the remainder over the custard.

14. Top with the softly whipped cream, using a palette knife to smooth it out a bit but still keeping the slightly rustic finish. Sift a little cocoa powder over the centre of each cream-topped trifle and decorate with a dried banana chip and the reserved butterscotch pieces.

Please Enjoy!!!