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Banana Cake with Caramel Peanut Popcorn
A rich and tender banana cake gets a playful twist with a topping of crunchy caramel peanut popcorn. The batter relies on very ripe bananas and a generous swirl of peanut butter to create a deeply flavorful, moist crumb studded with chocolate chips. Baking it in a Bundt pan gives the dessert a beautiful shape that works well for weekend gatherings or casual celebrations. The combination of sweet banana, salty peanuts, and crisp caramel popcorn delivers an irresistible mix of textures in every bite.
Ingredients
- 175g unsalted butter
- 50g peanut butter
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 medium very ripe bananas
- 3 tablespoons soured cream
- 225g plain flour
- 50g cornflour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 100g chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 50g popcorn kernels
- 100g caster sugar
- 40g unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75g salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 75g dark chocolate, chopped
- 75g milk chocolate, chopped
- 25g unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup
- 2.5-litre Bundt or kugelhopf tin
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan or gas mark 4) and arrange a rack just below the center. Place a 2.5-liter Bundt or kugelhopf tin in the freezer for 5 minutes or the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.
- 2Melt 25g of the unsalted butter and brush it generously inside the chilled cake tin, coating every crease and corner completely.
- 3Combine the remaining unsalted butter, peanut butter, 200g of golden caster sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture until it becomes pale and fluffy.
- 4Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Slowly mix in the lightly beaten eggs, ensuring each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- 5Mash the very ripe bananas in a separate small bowl using a fork until they are mostly smooth. Stir in the soured cream until well blended.
- 6Sift the plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda directly into the butter mixture. Pour in the mashed banana blend and beat everything together until the batter is smooth.
- 7Gently fold the chocolate chips into the batter until they are evenly distributed.
- 8Transfer the cake batter into the prepared tin, using the back of a spoon to smooth the top into an even layer.
- 9Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is ready when it turns golden brown, rises well, and a skewer inserted into the thickest section comes out clean.
- 10Let the cake rest in the tin for 20 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a wire cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.