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A slice of moist banana nut cake topped with caramel sauce, banana slices, and chopped pecans, part of One-Pan Thanksgiving Desserts.

One-Pan Banana Cake with Toffee Sauce

This one-pan banana cake with a rich toffee sauce is a simple and delicious Thanksgiving dessert that minimizes cleanup. It's perfect for busy schedules.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 41 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 31 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 402

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 1.75 cups all purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 0.25 teaspoon salt
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
  • 0.75 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup very ripe mashed bananas from 2-3 spotty bananas
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Toffee Sauce
  • 1.25 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 0.5 cup dark brown sugar
  • 0.5 cup light corn syrup
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pinch salt
For Serving
  • 1 as needed sliced perfectly ripe bananas
  • 1 as needed chopped pecans

Equipment

  • 8x8-inch baking dish
  • Medium bowl
  • Electric mixer
  • Heavy small saucepan

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8x8-inch baking dish.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix the melted butter and sugar until blended. Add the eggs, mashed bananas, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix well.
  4. On low speed, stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Bring the heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and salt to a boil in a heavy small saucepan over high heat, whisking until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a gentle boil, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. It should be the consistency of maple syrup; it will continue to thicken as it cools. Remove the sauce from the heat and cool.
  6. Spoon ⅓ cup of the toffee sauce over the top of the baked banana cake. Return the cake to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling vigorously, about 6 minutes.
  7. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for at least 30 minutes. Cut the cake into 9 squares or 12 rectangles. Serve the cake slightly warm or at room temperature with warm toffee sauce and top with sliced bananas and pecans, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 402kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 4gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 231mgFiber: 1gSugar: 27g

Notes

The toffee sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover and chill; then rewarm slightly before using. If it seems too thick, add more heavy cream to thin it to your desired consistency. The cake can be frozen (without the toffee sauce) for up to 3 months. Thaw on the countertop the night before you plan to eat it. Before serving, place the cake back in the oven with the toffee sauce and proceed with the recipe from step 6.

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