A lightly spiced banana cake, filled with custard and topped with a vanilla custard buttercream. This cake is simple indulgence at its best. It’s quick to make, easy to follow and tastes absolutely delicious! I used tinned custard to help make this recipe, making it even easier to follow!
The base of this cake is a lightly spiced banana cupcake, made with light brown sugar, oil and a mashed banana. The brown sugar has more moisture and adds a slight treacle flavour to the bake, which is perfect for any banana based cake. The oil also helps to make it a nice soft and moist bake.
The first step is to add the eggs and sugar together and beat until nice and fluffy, this usually takes around 1-2 minutes. Add oil and vanilla and mix together until just combined, before adding in the mashed banana. Lastly add the self raising flour and cinnamon. Make sure that everything is blended together and then distribute into the prepared cupcake cases. The cake will be a darker bake, this is perfectly normal for a banana based cake, especially when brown sugar has been used.
Custard
As always, I recommend that you use vanilla paste over extract. It is a thicker consistency, so doesn’t add too much liquid to the batter. It also has a more natural vanilla taste. I find the liquid extract can have quite an artificial flavour, which can completely change the taste of the cake.
Whilst waiting for the cakes to cool you can start to make the icing. I used a basic buttercream base to make this, but instead of adding milk, I added ready made custard to add the moisture, and flavour to the frosting. Cream butter until smooth, then add the icing sugar in two batches. When you have a thick mixture, stir in your vanilla paste, then add the custard. Make sure that you don’t add too much, or you will have a runny mess! This icing should still be able to hold its own shape, making it pipeable, if you wish.
Custard
To give these a real custard twist, I’ve added a blob of custard to the inside of the cake, similar to my Victoria sponge cupcake. I used tinned, ready made custard to make it even easier. Once they’ve cooled completely, use a sharp knife cut out a ‘well’ in the centre of the cake as if you’re making a butterfly cake. Then add a blob of custard (about 1 teaspoon) to the well, filling up the hole you’ve just made. Don’t put the top of the cake back on, you can just discard (or eat!) this extra bit. I tried to put the lid back on the cake, but the custard oozed everywhere and just made a big mess!
You can add you topping straight on top of the custard. This can be piped, or ‘smeared’ on top. Add any extra toppings, such as a dried banana chip on top, and enjoy your bake!
I have made a small batch of cakes here, as the recipe makes 4 large cupcakes. This is because these cakes tastes best on the same day as making.
Ingredients
- CAKES:
- 1 Egg
- 60 g / 2 oz Light Brown Soft Sugar
- 40 ml Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste
- 1 Banana, mashed
- 90 g / 3 oz Self Raising Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 4 Teaspoons Custard, for the centre of the cake
- ICING:
- 90 g / 3 oz Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 170 g / 6 oz Icing Sugar
- 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Paste
- 1 Teaspoon Custard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4/160*c Fan Oven.
- Line a cupcake tin with cases and set aside
- Place the eggs and light brown soft sugar into a bowl and using an electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy, this normally takes around 1-2 minutes.
- Add the oil and vanilla paste, mixing until just combined.
- Stir through the mashed banana.
- Add the self raising flour and cinnamon and blend until fully combined, being careful not to over mix, and spoon the mixture into your prepared tin.
- Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until light and fluffy. You can tell it's ready when it springs back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, then the cake is ready.
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow the cakes to sit in the tin for roughly 5 minutes, then place on a wired rack to cool.
- Whilst waiting for them to cool, start making your icing.
- Add the butter to a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until creamy.
- Add half of the sieved icing sugar to the bowl and using a spoon, gently stir together until just combined (this helps to prevent an icing sugar explosion!), before mixing with the electric mixer.
- Add the remaining icing sugar and follow the steps above, do not be afraid to overmix, you want this to be nice and smooth.
- Add the vanilla paste and blend, then add in the custard until fully combined and the icing can hold it's own shape
- Now the cakes have cooled, start to prepare the middle. using a sharp knife, cut a 'well' out of the centre of the cake, as if you were making a butterfly cake. Discard (or eat!) the dome of cake that you've just cut out as you won't be needing it anymore.
- Using a teaspoon, add 1/2 teaspoon of custard to the centre of each cake, filling the hole that you've just made (see picture).
- You can either pipe the icing on top of the cake, or place some icing on each cake, placing directly on top of the custard.
Notes
These cakes are best eaten straight away, but if there are any left overs store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and eat within 2 days.
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