Chocolate cloud cake for a royal wedding

It's not very often that one gets to witness a royal wedding in one's lifetime. In fact, it's very rare. It's one of those events that you can't help but tune into just to see it all unfold. I must admit that I have mixed feelings about this royal wedding because, at some point in my life, I considered Prince William to be a prime "husband candidate" for me (I know I'm not the only one who had a crush on the lad at one time or another!). I even considered wooing him with letters (could've, would've, should've, but didn't). Then again, how far could my letter-writing skills have taken me in the quest to marry a prince? I guess I'll never know.

Of course, as exciting an event as it is, I will be mourning the loss of yet another "potential" husband, with Nigella's chocolate cloud cake. This seems absolutely appropriate wedding eats, and perfect breakfast food to me. Just prepare it the night before the wedding; let the cake cool while you sleep. Then wake up to the television broadcast of the royal wedding and decadent, sinful chocolate cake. If the royal wedding is not reason enough to get out of bed so early, this chocolate cake definitely is.

This cake reminds me of how incompatible I and the royal family would be: though I do love a good slice of fruitcake once and awhile, my wedding cake (if I ever get to have one) will absolutely not be fruitcake under any circumstances, no matter how good their fruitcake recipe is and even if the Queen mum herself says it must be so. My wedding cake will be chocolate, or vanilla, maybe a framboisier. It will be anything but the traditional fruitcake. Who knows, I might even opt out of the traditional, fancy-schmancy tiered wedding cake and instead, the groom and I will cut into a pan of brownies!

Nigella's chocolate cloud cake is perfection with one of the simplest recipes and requiring just a few ingredients (chocolate, eggs, sugar, and a little butter). What I love about this chocolate cake is the craggy top that hides a fudgy, deeply chocolaty interior. The top crust is my favorite part, reminiscent of the cracking brownie tops that I am constantly seeking when I cut into a pan of brownies. I just love cracking through the top with a knife. This is why, I omitted the "cloud" element of the recipe. This is the ultimate in chocolate cakes, after all, chocolate is the first, if not the main ingredient, besides the eggs. I spiked the cake with some spiced rum, omitting the Cointreau and orange zest that was called for in the original recipe. My goal was an over-the-top chocolate affair with nothing standing in the way. The rum flavor lingers, even after baking, adding to the decadent flavor of this cake. This is a great cake if you are seeking to celebrate (or binge your way through yet another wedding).

Here's to the royal couple and their wedding. When I'm done with this cake, I really need to work on transforming a frog into a prince.....

I wrote this post as part of the Forever Nigella blogging event (which happens every month if you'd like to participate in the Nigella-ness) from the blog Maison Cupcake. Mardi of eat. live. travel. write was kind enough to host this month's "royal street party." Check out her post in honor of the royal wedding!

You can find the recipe for this chocolate cake in Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites. It is also available on Nigella's site (in metric measurements), and here (in Imperial measures). I cannot post the recipe here because it's not mine to share. I do recommend that you invest in Nigella's books, if you have the chance. They are a great read.

DB: Maple mousse in maple cookie cups

The April 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Evelyne of the blog Cheap Ethnic Eatz. Evelyne chose to challenge everyone to make a maple mousse in an edible container. Prizes are being awarded to the most creative edible container and filling, so vote on your favorite from April 27th to May 27th at http://thedaringkitchen.com!

Given my love obsession with all things maple, I obviously had to participate in this month's Daring Bakers challenge. I'm glad I did. This maple mousse was so good, that when I was done filling the pre-baked maple cookie cups, I piped the rest straight into my mouth while standing in the kitchen. I realize that this was very un-lady-like of me. Furthermore, this is something that I would never do normally. I'm a big fan of eating straight out of the Kitchenaid mixer bowl with a small, dainty spoon, personally. In fact, I think it's the first time that I've ever piped anything straight into my mouth. The maple mousse was that good.

My friends are well aware of my maple obsession. When I reveal that I incorporated maple syrup into a dessert that I'm sharing with friends, the response is usually: "Of course!" Maple is one of my favorite flavors, and maple syrup is actually produced locally in most parts of Quebec (bonus). The image of me piping maple mousse into my mouth probably would not surprise anybody who knows me. After all, I will forever be remembered as the girl who at an entire maple sugar pie after having consumed a sugar shack meal smothered in maple syrup.

The funny thing about maple syrup is that it has a very sweet, earthy flavor that reminds me of fall, yet it is solely produced in spring in this area. Maple syrup is made from the sap of the maple tree. In spring, the sap rushes up from the roots to feed the budding branches that swayed dormant all winter. The flavor of the syrup (the concentrated sap) reflects its origins, with woodsy, earthy notes. Maple syrup is heaven if you ask me. I love it so much, if ever I had to move somewhere without it, I would oblige friends and family to ship it to me periodically.

For this challenge, I paired the maple mousse with slightly salty maple cookie cups. I made the cookie cups by baking the cookies over an inverted mini-muffin tray (two cookies per cup). The slight saltiness of the cookie really adds to the dessert. The cookie recipe is tweaked from Martha Stewart, and the maple mousse, from the Daring Kitchen. I let the cookies brown in the oven to bring out the nutty flavors of the butter and also to provide a better contrast with the pale maple mousse. If the combination of maple cookies with maple mousse seem like too much too you, I'd make chocolate cookie cups to pair with the maple mousse. The bitterness of the cocoa would provide a nice contrast for the sweet maple mousse. Of course, since I am a lover of all things maple, the more maple, the better.

Maple cookie cups
Makes at least 10 cookie cups plus a couple dozen mini maple leaf cookies (sorry, I realize that's not a very precise measure)

• 450 grams all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 125 grams granulated sugar
• 100 grams brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• 125 mL maple syrup (I used medium grade)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature.
• Maple flakes (optional)
• Extra maple syrup (optional) for glazing

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Whisk together the flour and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the sugars.
4. Add the egg yolk, and mix to combine, scraping down the bowl as needed.
5. Add the maple syrup, and mix to combine.
6. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour. Mix to combine, scraping the bowl as needed.
7. Roll the dough out (1/4 of it at a time), on a floured surface. Cut into the shapes you want and transfer either to a cookie sheet topped with a Silpat, or place over cups of an inverted mini muffin tray (2 large cookie leaves per cup).
8. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking. (If you'd like, you can brush the cookies with maple syrup and sprinkle with maple flakes just before popping them into the oven).
9. Bake for 6–7 minutes, rotating if necessary partly through the baking time. Let cool about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Don't wait too long for the cookie cups because you may have trouble unmolding them!

Maple mousse
Makes about 8 cups mousse (plenty for cookie cups and piping directly into your mouth, behind closed doors)

• 240 mL (1 cup) maple syrup (I used medium grade maple syrup)
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 package Knox gelatin
• 60 mL (1/4 cup) skim milk (~0.1% fat)
• 360 mL (1 1/2 cups) whipping cream (~35% fat)

1. Bring the maple syrup to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
2. To a bowl containing the egg yolks, slowly add a few spoonfuls of the boiled syrup while whisking constantly (this is to temper the eggs). Then add the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly to heat through without cooking the egg yolks. Set aside for later.
3. Pour the skim milk into a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let stand for 5 minutes to bloom.
4. Place the bowl of bloomed gelatin over a pan of simmering water and gently heat to dissolve. Add the dissolved gelatin mixture to the syrupy-egg mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
5. Whip the cream to stiff peaks, then take a few scoops of the whipped cream and add it to the syrupy-egg mixture (to lighten it before mixing with the cream). Now add that lightened syrupy-egg mixture to the whipped cream, and fold to combine. Don't worry if you have to be a little rough. You want the mousse mix to be smooth and light.
6. Chill for 1.5 hours until set enough to pipe into your edible cookie cups.

An Easter recipe for hot cross buns

When Easter rolls around, it usually means that a new season has begun and that spring is finally here. The temperatures creep upwards a little more steadily. The sun shines a few more moments every day. In my little world, a new year blossoms around Easter week-end (and not mid-winter, January 1st) because it is the one time of the year that ushers in a feeling of fresh beginning.

I always spend Easter week-end with my family, and we always have hot cross buns and tea in the afternoons. Usually, we buy the buns from Pâtisserie de Gascogne, but this year, I made them from scratch (using a recipe that I tweaked from Donna Hay). As they baked, the scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves filled the house, setting our minds to a happy, relaxed holiday-mode. The combination of candied citrus peel and raisins, alongside the mixture of spices, are just right for a hot cross bun. I truly believe that these are better than any bun that you buy in a store, and the aromas that fill the air are well worth the effort. Trust me.

I made the dough with a Kitchenaid mixer, as opposed to kneading them by hand. I guess I'm a little lazy, but I've had a lot of success kneading doughs with a mixer, so I don't do that by hand any more. I tweaked the spice mixture, and used less flour then was called for in the original recipe (proof that I am getting better at making bread dough, I think!) but the amount of flour probably is dependent on the temperature, humidity, and the wheat used for the flour. I baked the buns to a deep mahogany, as recommended by the original recipe, and in the style of such bakeries as Tartine in San Francisco would do. If you prefer a lighter bun, you can bake them at a slightly lower temperature, or for less time.

Hot cross buns
Yields 12 buns

Bun dough

• 2 tbsp instant dried yeast
• 55 grams granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup warm milk (~95°F)

• 535 grams all-purpose flour (you may need more)
• 2 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• scant 1/4 tsp cloves
• 50 grams melted butter
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 55 grams sugar
• 240 grams sultana raisins
• 55 grams candied citrus peel (mix of orange and lemon)

Cross dough

• 75 grams all-purpose flour
• 80 mL water

Glaze

• 2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp powdered gelatine
• 60 mL water

1. In a 2 cup measurer (or a small bowl), stir together the first three ingredients (yeast, sugar, and milk). Set aside to "bubble and grow" as you measure out the other ingredients.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour, spices, butter, egg, sugar, raisins, and candied peel. Mix on low for a minute, then add in the yeast mixture and mix on medium for 8 to 10 minutes (this is essential to get a good bun texture). The dough should not stick to the sides, but should feel slightly tacky when you press it with your fingers. If it's too dry, sprinkle some water, and continue beating. If it's too wet, add a couple teaspoons of flour (a little at a time) and beat.
3. Form the dough into a ball and place it in a greased, large bowl (rolling it in the bowl to grease the dough). Cover the bowl with saran wrap.
4. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size, in a warm, draft-free location, like in the oven with just the light turned on.
5. Prepare a 9-inch brownie pan by greasing it lightly and fitting a piece of parchment at the bottom. Grease the parchment.
6. Punch the dough down slightly, form a log. Divide the log into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan.
7. Cover the pan with saran wrap and let the buns rise until they have doubled (they should reach to the top of the pan).
8. Preheat the oven, with a baking sheet inverted over the middle shelf, to 400°F.
9. Prepare the cross dough: To form the crosses, mix the flour and the water, and pipe thinly onto the top of each bun just before baking. The dough should be thin enough to pipe, but thick enough not to spread.
10. Bake the buns on the middle rack (on top of the preheated baking sheet) for 10 minutes at this temperature, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 15 to 18 minutes, or until the buns are deep brown in color.
11. Remove the buns from the oven and brush with glaze a couple times as they cool (note that as the glaze cools, it will thicken enough that when it is brushed it will leave a nice, non-sticky sheen when completely cooled). Serve the buns when they are slightly warm, with salted butter. You can reheat them in the oven the next day.

My absolute favorite recipe for date squares

April can be quite confusing. The calendar indicates that it's definitely spring because the equinox was in March. The tulips know it's spring as they wake up and bravely break through the cold garden soil in search of sun. Yet, this April is still cold and dreary out, and the skyline is still riddled with bare trees (they may be budding, but the buds are too small to see at this point). The signs of spring are there, I just can't feel them yet, and I am getting antsy for the season to unfold and warm my frozen toes.

April also poses a challenge for me as a baker. I have been baking with apples and pears since September, and with citrus since December. Sure, there are a zillion more recipes that I am dying to try with these ingredients, but I feel like moving on. It's time. I'm desperate for the first pink and green stalks of rhubarb to brighten the market stands so that I can bejewel a lemon tart. They'll be here any day now, right?

As I wait for spring, I seek refuge in the simplest of recipes. I often put together desserts requiring only pantry items that can be stored for these days when I need a quick pick-me-up without having to leave the warmth of my home. I don't want to face a drizzly, gray, cold day in April. I turn on the oven and reject the cold. A batch of lightly spiced date squares will keep me going through a few of the dreary days.

My favorite part of making date squares: transforming the driest of dates (they look like they will never recover) into a sweet, aromatic paste. Initially, it seems like the dates and the water will never mingle; the water will never coax the dates into hydration. But then, with some patience, stirring, and a little heat, the dates come together to make a rich filling. The transformation is very spring-like, if you ask me.

Moments later, you have date squares.

I love the rustic crumbs that spill when you plate the squares. Perfectly imperfect.

This is my go-to recipe for date squares because it's all about the dates: there is no lemon or orange zest here to interfere with the floral, earthy character of the dates. This recipe is taken from Joy of Baking. I haven't changed the recipe much (just upped the amount of cinnamon), but I have changed the method to make the crust/crumble. I don't have a food processor that is large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, so I just use my fingers. It just feels right to make the crumble by hand anyways.

Date squares
Yields 16 squares

Filling:

• 400 grams (~3 cups) dates (such as Jaffa brand)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla

Crust/crumble:

• 200 grams oats
• 130 grams all-purpose flour
• 160 grams light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup cold butter, chopped

1. Prepare the filling: Heat the dates with the water over low heat, stirring. After 5–10 minutes, the dates will absorb all the water, soften, break open, and form a paste. Transfer the paste to a small food processor, and blend until smooth (this is not absolutely necessary, but this will chop up the dates skins nicely giving a more even texture to the paste). Add the vanilla and blend for a few seconds more. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
3. Prepare a 9x9-inch brownie pan (I use a metal pan) by greasing it and fitting a square of parchment at the bottom.
4. Prepare the crust/crumble: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add in the cold butter, tossing to coat it with the flour/oat mixture. Using your finger tips, press the butter into the flour until you have a coarse crumble. Don't worry if it gets too warm, just pop it into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to chill it, then continue crumbling. 
5. Assemble: When you've got a good crumble, pour two thirds of the mixture into the prepared pan. Press it down (with your fingers or the bottom of a cup). Be sure to get into the corners. You want a good base for your squares. Top the base with the date paste, smearing it carefully to coat the base evenly. Top with the rest of the crumbles, strewing them evenly over the paste with your hands.
6. Bake the squares for 30–40 minutes, until the edges begin to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Optional: refrigerate until really cold so that cutting them is easier. I don't do this because I think a room-temp, if not slightly warm, date square is a million times yummier. Cut into 16 squares and serve.

Nutella with any other nut is just as delicious

I remember the taste of nutella, or at least I think I do. It's been awhile since my last indulgence.

I used to love the smell of nutella. I loved the sweetness of nutella. I loved the creamy texture and slight gloss of nutella. I enjoyed open-faced nutella sandwiches (i.e. nutella on white bread), which I'd regularly make and drop on the floor (nutella-side down). I'd even eat plain nutella by the spoonful. I was nuts for nutella.


Then, one day, I developed a hazelnut allergy. No more nutella for me.
 

I honestly had a panic attack over not being able to eat hazelnuts because I loved them so much (in fact, while toasting a batch for biscotti, I declared that I'd be including more hazelnuts in my diet, just moments before I had my first reaction). I got very upset because I really loved nutella, and my favorite French and Italian chocolates were all filled with hazelnuts or hazelnut praliné. How could this be? And of course, I could have developed a more troublesome dietary restriction, like an allergy to gluten or an intolerance to dairy (yikes), but in my little world, losing hazelnuts was a big deal. I used to be able to eat anything and everything without a care or a fear. There I was baking a batch of hazelnut and chocolate biscotti, and I couldn't even try just one.

I haven't touched a drop of nutella, let alone a single hazelnut, since that day three years ago, but the more I blog and tweet, the more I am faced with the temptation to forget about the consequences and just scarf down a jar of nutella. And, the fact that I can't have it makes me want nutella more. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, even when it comes to something as "unimportant" as nutella. I want a nutty chocolate spread for my plain old white bread. I need it.

This is why I decided to make my own nutella, and try out different nuts to see which worked/tasted better in a chocolate spread. In fact, I screened seven different types of roasted nuts to find which would work best in my hazelnut-free nutella: almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts. First, I whisked together a large batch of salty sweet cocoa powder (a touch of salt—1/4 tsp, 2 parts powdered sugar—2 cups, and 1 part Cocoa Barry extra dark cocoa powder—1 cup). That amount of dry ingredients could be used to turn 4 cups hazelnuts into nutella. Instead, I toasted 30 gram amounts (~1/4 cup) of each non-hazelnut test nut, in a dry fry pan on medium heat, until they were nice and roasty-toasty. I processed them until they were as fine as I could get them in my mini Kitchenaid food processor. I processed each nut grind with about 22 grams of the dry ingredients, along with some vanilla (1/8 tsp), and some oil (amount varies, but I used at least 2.5 tsp). And to quote the slap-chop dude: "You're going to love my nuts!" Et voilà: a painter's palette of hazelnut-less nutella!

Okay, fine. They all pretty much looked the same: brown. A few might be a little smoother or glossier (a couple drops more oil), others might be a little coarser (I grew impatient with the intermittent processing interrupted by the scraping of the sides and bottom of the processor). However, tastewise, there was a world of difference between them. I hadn't expected to get much out of the macadamia nuts and pistachios. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, but I wasn't sure that these would stand up next to chocolate. I was completely wrong. Both of these were quite distinct from the others, and I wonder if the chocolate actually enhanced their distinct nuttiness. I found the walnuts to be the most earthy. The skins (which I lazily left if they were sold as is) added a little zip to the walnut and pecan spreads. The peanut nutella was awesomely reminiscent of a fancy, higher quality, Reese's peanut butter cup. Heavenly when indulged by the teaspoonful. I was floored by my little experiment. And the saltiness of them (I may have been a little heavy handed with the shaker) was welcome.

Now I can safely say that nutella can be easily made at home (a powerful food processor is necessary for this) with any nut your heart desires. Apparently, you can even use sesame paste, if nuts aren't your thing.

And, if you find out hazelnuts can kill you, don't panic! Just roll with it. Fix yourself a giant batch of hazelnut-less nutella. Soon, the store-bought nutella will be a distant dream, easily forgotten.

Here's the base-recipe I used to make my hazelnut-less spreads, taken from a fellow Montreal blogger: Letizia Golosa (be sure to check out her blog); the original recipe was published in the LA Times.

Hazelnut-less nutella

Makes ~1.5 cups

• 2 cups of any raw nut your heart desires
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (make sure it's top quality)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
•  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp (or more) oil (vegetable, or a nut oil if you prefer, for e.g. you could use walnut oil for a walnut nutella)

1. Preheat a dry fry pan on medium heat until it is hot.
2. Add the nuts and toast them, keeping the pan moving so that they don't burn.
3. When toasted, remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour out the nuts to cool.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of a food processor, pulverize the toasted nuts for several minutes. They should be as fine as you can get them. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
6. Add the dry ingredients, vanilla, and oil. Continue blending until you obtain a spread (this could take at least 5 minutes). The more you blend, the more the oils of the nuts will be released, rendering the spread glossier. For a liquidier spread, add a few drops more oil and blend. Continue to do this until you obtain the desired consistency.
7. The spread can be stored in the fridge. Just bring it to room temperature before using it (or it won't be spreadable).

Sticky maple toffee banana cake

I never have dinner parties. Never. Come to think of it, I rarely have people over. I'm not sure why. I suppose the idea just stresses me out. Yet, with every new magazine or cookbook that I purchase, I highlight and dog-ear recipes and pages for dinner parties that I could be hosting, one day. What's funny, is I bake loads of treats all the time, and bring them to people's houses, or to work. I've made birthday cakes for people. Somehow, this is less stressful, although birthday cakes are key at birthday parties, so I wouldn't want to screw that up! Then, one day, I took the plunge and decided that I'd just do it.

Actually, I'm lying a little: I hosted a dinner party at my place once, years ago, with a friend as co-host. It was a baby shower to be held a Saturday evening. The plan was to have a mock-Thanksgiving meal because the mommy-to-be was French, and she'd never had a Thanksgiving meal. The menu was seemingly simple, and included shake-and-bake chicken because I decided it would be difficult to screw up shake-and-bake, but roasting a turkey could end in trouble. Of course, there had to be hitches, like when the grocery store had no more cut-up chickens, but instead only stocked small whole roasting chickens. In advance of the party, this seemed like no problem to me: just cut up the chickens into individual portions, then shake, and bake. I had never cut up a whole chicken in my life. How stupid was I to think I could just cut up a chicken? Oh, and I also thought it brilliant to go apple picking the day of the party. Nothing was ready, and yet I went apple picking. Needless to say, guests arrived on time, but I was behind schedule. I had whole chickens to cut up in front of everyone, and loads of sweat and stress to deal with. The thought of that night makes me cringe. It's been about 3 years since that baby shower.

My menu was simple: lentil soup, beet wellingtons, sticky toffee banana cake for dessert. But then, my mom and I discussed that the soup would be even better with fresh bread, so I added RLB's butter-dipped dinner rolls to my menu. I also decided to make the puff pastry from scratch. And since a single wellington on a plate would look a little puny, I added a salad to my prep-list. The banana cake recipe also had a quick-and-easy toffee sauce to go with it. Why not? Plus, I don't want people to be hungry while waiting for things to cook, and thus crudités and dip were added to my list. My excitement got the best of me, and my "simple" menu exploded!

Voici the revised menu: crudités and cauliflower hummus, lentil soup with butter-dipped dinner rolls, individual beet wellingtons (rolled in homemade puff pastry) served with a fattoush salad, banana cake with maple toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream (not homemade; at least I had the good sense not to add homemade ice cream to my ambitious prep list! Then again, I'm 100% sure that making ice cream would have been way easier than making puff pastry and beet wellingtons....).

 

   

The morning of my dinner party day, when I couldn't get my beet wellingtons to seal, I contemplated vodka shots. I knew it was only 9AM at that point, so probably not the right time to start drinking, but I had a crisis on my hand! My dinner party was unraveling at the seams! Literally! Was it too late to turn back? I contemplated just not answering the door bell when it rang! Avoiding and ignoring is the mature solution, right?

Finally, I just did what I could, and after a few sloppier assemblies, I got better. I ended up with eight miniature beet wellingtons to be stored in the fridge for later. And, go figure, when the time came, they baked up beautifully.

 

The food was a hit, as you can see, especially the banana cake topped with toffee sauce and thin slices of banana flambéed in rum. V graciously offered to flambée the banana slices. She really loves fire so we used lots of rum (with the lid of the pot nearby in case of trouble).

 

Since the beet wellington recipe needs some work (in terms of perfecting the amount of filling and pastry to use), I'm only going to post the fabulous cake recipe (tweaked from Bon Appétit's March 2011 issue, page 103). If you want more information on the wellingtons, you can always message me and I'll fill you in on the details.

Sticky maple toffee banana cake
Serves 9

For the maple toffee sauce:

• 1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (medium grade)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1–2 tbsp spiced rum

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the toffee sauce ingredients to a boil over medium heat, whisking often. 
2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the sauce gently simmer for about 15 minutes, until it's reduced to about 1 1/2 cups. Be sure to keep stirring the sauce to avoid it sticking to and burning on the bottom of the pan. 
3. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a wooden spoon. When the pan is off the heat, add the rum.
4. You can either use it right away or store it in the fridge for the next day. Just reheat it in the microwave for a minute or so.

For the banana cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup mashed banana (I used 4 small frozen bananas, thawed to room temperature before mashing)
• 1 tbsp spiced rum
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8x8-inch square, metal baking pan (a brownie pan). Be sure to tap out the excess flour.
2. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside for later.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the brown sugar until smooth.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition, and scraping down the bowl as needed.
5. Add the mashed banana, rum, and vanilla, and mix well.
6. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients slowly, in 4 additions, scraping down the bowl between additions. Mix the batter until the flour is combined.
7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan, and bake the cake for 35–38 minutes (or until a tester comes out clean). 
8. Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Pour half a cup of the toffee sauce over the hot cake, and return the pan to the oven.
9. Continue baking for 6 minutes. The sauce will bubble,
10. Remove the pan from the oven, and let the cake cool slightly (if serving warm), or completely (if serving later) in the pan.

To serve:

• Banana cake (it can be rewarmed in a low-temp oven)
• Warm toffee sauce
• 1 banana, sliced thinly (you can flambée the banana, if you love fire)
• Vanilla ice cream (we used some yummy vegan vanilla-flavored coconut ice cream)

1. Cut the cake into 9 servings.
2. Serve each piece of cake with several spoonfuls of warm toffee sauce, a couple slices of banana, and a scoop of ice cream.
3. Yum!
4. Pass around the toffee sauce because your guests will want more.