A delicious pecan banana toffee cake has the flavour of your favourite banana bread, with the added texture and flavour of toasted, ground pecans and is topped with a warm butter rum toffee sauce. A perfect winter dessert!

banana cake with toffee sauce on cake plate
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Why I love this banana cake!

Imagine the flavour of your favourite banana bread. Now add in the texture and great flavours of toasted, ground pecans. Then top it off with a warm, buttery, toffee sauce. Are you still with me? Great, because now you know just how delicious this cake is! It reminded me a bit of sticky toffee pudding … but different. In a just as good way :)

The cake itself is bursting with the flavour of toasted pecans and banana. The pecans add both great flavour and texture to the cake, while the bananas add taste and ensure a great moistness to the cake. On top is poured a warm sauce of brown sugar, butter, cream (and a touch of rum, if you like.)

Ingredients and substitutions

Bananas – you’ll need one large or two smaller bananas for this cake. The ideal banana is very ripe, with lots of dark spots, but not black bananas, which can sometimes introduce a bitter note.

Pecans – as you will be grinding the pecans, you can start with the more economical pecan pieces for that part. Pecan halves are pretty for topping the cake.

Rum – for an adult cake, you can add a bit of rum to the cake, the toffee sauce of both. Totally optional though. If not using, replace with a bit of vanilla instead.

Recipe tips!

  • I had thought I might put a little sprinkling of Maldon salt on top of the cake to finish it off, but that thought apparently left me somewhere between the kitchen and the photo shoot. I still thought it was a nice touch when I remembered again, so added a bit eventually. If you’re so inclined and you remember, it’s a nice addition for sweet/salty lovers. A dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream would certainly not be out of place with this cake, as well.
  • While you can enjoy this cake anytime, I think it’s a perfect Fall and Winter dessert and especially nice for entertaining. You will have some extra sauce, so pass it around to add a bit more to your slices, if desired (and who would desire it?).
banana cake with toffee sauce on cake plate

Making ahead, storing and freezing

You can make this cake ahead, as well as the sauce. Just wait until just before serving to pour the sauce over top. Both the cake and the sauce should also freeze, though I would keep them separate until serving.

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banana cake with toffee sauce on cake plate

Get the Recipe: Pecan Banana Toffee Cake

A simple and elegant banana toffee cake. A pretty and flavourful warm dessert and both the cake and the sauce can be made ahead.
5 stars from 2 ratings
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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 cups pecan pieces or halves
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 Tablespoon golden rum, or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt, use 3/4 tsp. if using salted butter

For the toffee sauce:

  • 7 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
  • 1-2 Tablespoons golden rum, to taste or 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, if using rum

For garnish:

  • 12 pecan halves
  • Coarse salt, such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel, to sprinkle top of sauce after pouring on cake

Instructions
 

  • For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350° F. (regular bake setting/not fan assisted).
  • Prepare a 9-inch cake pan by greasing with butter and lining the bottom with a round of parchment paper (for easy removal!). Set aside. *Note: If you only have 8-inch cake pans, you can use, but you will have to hold back some of the batter. The cake doesn’t rise much at the sides (it does dome). You’ll only want to fill the pan to about 80% of the height. Note that cooking time may be less so check often.
  • Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the 350° oven until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven (leaving oven oand allow to cool. Once cool, process in a food processor until ground. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter with the brown and white sugar until light and fluffy (several minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas and rum and beat to combine.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the batter and beat until just combined, then beat in the ground pecans until well incorporated.Spoon batter into prepared cake pan.
  • Bake in pre-heated 350° oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
  • Remove cake from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and remove to a cooling rack, leaving the parchment paper intact and cooling parchment paper side down. Once cool, use a serrated knife to carefully slice off the domed top of the cake level with the sides of the cake. Discard (or snack on :) the removed slice of the cake. Invert the cake on to your serving platter or stand and peel off and discard the parchment. *Note: a cake stand or platter with a rim or raised edge is best to keep the sauce around the cake and so it won’t spill over the edge.)
  • For the sauce: In a medium saucepan (not too small, as mixture bubbles up considerably!), melt the butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream, rum and vanilla and simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Taste and add a bit more rum, if you like, to taste. Cool sauce to just warm (so it will thicken more and stay on the cake when you pour it over). If making sauce ahead, refrigerate until needed then re-warm in saucepan or microwave when serving. *Note: don't over-heat, as the sauce will be too thin. Heat to just warm.
  • Very slowly, pour the warm sauce over the cake, starting with a puddle in the middle and add more slowly, so it spreads over the top of the cake and spills down the sides a bit. Reserve remaining sauce to serve with the cake slices.
  • To garnish cake, place 12 pecan halves equally in a ring around the top of the cake. If desired, sprinkle with a pinch of a coarse salt, such as Maldon or Fleur de Sel.
  • Serve as is, or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 276mg, Potassium: 124mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 655IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 1mg
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