Banoffee Pie Cupcakes

Here is a delicious bake for the new year! Everyone’s favourite, Banoffee Pie, as a cupcake. Take some toffee banana sponge, cover it with toffee creme patissiere, a slice of fresh banana, sprinkle over some cookie crumbs then top it off with a crown of whipped cream then feel very smug with the fact that you have just created some grin inducing cakes!

They may sound difficult but they really are quite straight forward. I’ve become a bit addicted to creme patissiere recently, and after making some for the Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes the other day, it became the perfect solution when I was pondering how to top these cakes.I wanted something that would hold its shape somewhat rather than just spooning over caramel, this caramely custard does the job delectably.

On the 2nd we took the train to Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city for some bargain hunting at the sales and to see an exhibition at the city’s wonderful Museum and Art Gallery. I grew up in a tiny hamlet 10 miles to the south of Brum, as it is affectionately known, so I spent many a saturday afternoon shopping, wandering around the art gallery or shouting from the terraces at the footy. Birmingham holds a special place in my heart, it never used to be the most fashionable of towns but it has seen a remarkable change over the years and is quite a place now, almost unrecognisable in some parts!

The exhibition I wanted to see was Love and Death, Victorian Paintings from the Tate at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery {BMAG}. The gallery is famed for its wonderful collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, especially the work of Birmingham born Edward Burne-Jones. Quite a few of BMAG’s Pre-Raphaelite paintings are on tour at the moment with ‘Pre-Raphaelites, Victorian Avant Garde’  at Tate Britain, London {which I visited back in November} so the Tate has loaned some lovely pieces including the magnificent Lady of Shalott, by John William Waterhouse. Another favourite of mine was Waterhouse’s The Magic Circle, I absolutely love this picture, hung next to two paintings by Frederick Sandys, Medea and Morgan Le Fay {these two belong to BMAG, Morgan Le Fay was my absolute favourite as a teen!}. A perfect set of sorcerers! Please excuse the pics, I only had my mobile not my proper camera!

Banoffee Pie Cupcakes

Toffee Banana sponge

Oven 180 C / gas 4 / 350 F

12 hole muffin pan lined with paper cases

• 125 g {4 ounces} unsalted butter, softened
• 80 g {1/2 cup} Dark Muscovado Sugar
• 45 g (1/4 cup} golden caster sugar
• 2 free range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 140 g {1 cup} self-raising flour
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

Sift in the flour then fold into the mixture with a metal spoon. Divide the batter between the 12 paper cases, 3/4s full, then bake for approximately 20-25 minutes, until a cake tester or skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Toffee Creme Patissiere {adapted from this recipe by Donal Skehan}

• 4 free-range egg yolks
• 60 g {1/3 cup} golden caster sugar
• 35 g {5 level tbsp} cornflour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 375 ml {1 1/2 cups} milk
• 5 tbsp caramel {the tinned stuff sold next to the condensed milk} or dulce de leche

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour and vanilla extract with a whisk until thick.

Put the milk into a saucepan and gently bring up to the boil. Once it reaches boiling point, take it off the heat and pour it over the egg yolk mixture and whisk it together. Pour it back into the pan over a medium flame, continually stirring with a wooden spoon until it becomes a very thick custard. Use a balloon whisk occasionally to break up any lumps. Take of the heat and beat in the caramel/dulce de leche.

Transfer it into a clean bowl. Use cling film or a disc of parchment over the surface, touching it, to prevent a skin forming. Leave to cool then transfer to the fridge to chill completely.

To assemble the cakes

• 1 banana, sliced into rounds
• 4 or 5 digestive biscuits, hob-nobs or graham crackers crushed to fine crumbs
• 200 ml {1 cup} double, whipping or heavy cream, whipped until fairly stiff and pipe worthy.

Remove the toffee creme patissiere from the fridge and beat with a balloon whisk until smooth. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large, plain nozzle  and cover your cooled cakes with a heap of it. Alternatively just spoon it on, although using a piping bag is neater and you get a nice rounded edge.

Place a piece of banana on top then sprinkle over some biscuit crumbs.

Now fit another piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe a swirl onto each cake.

Here’s to 2013! What’s everyone got planned adventure wise?