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A soft banana pecan cake with a caramel sauce underneath that forms as the pudding bakes

Banana Pecan Self-Saucing Pudding

A soft banana pecan cake with a caramel sauce underneath that forms as the pudding bakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
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Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 1/2 cup pecans (50 gms; walnuts are good too)
  • 2 ripe bananas, medium sized
  • 1/3 cup milk, at room temperature (80 ml)
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted (55 gms)
  • 1/3 cup soft light brown sugar (70 gms)
  • 1 egg, at room temperature (see notes)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 gms)
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter

For the sauce

  • 1/3 cup soft brown sugar, light or dark (70 gms; see notes)
  • 2 tbsps dark rum, optional
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 and 1/4 cups boiling hot water (300 ml)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 175 C. Spread the pecans out on an un-greased baking tray and bake for 5 minutes until fragrant. Set aside to cool a bit then chop them coarsely or break into pieces.
  • Keep the oven preheated at 175 C. Grease an 8.5x6.5 inch rectangular baking dish with sides at least 2 inches high.
  • In a mixing bowl, mash one banana well, then whisk in the milk, melted butter and sugar till combined. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk again.
  • Sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt, if using. Add the toasted pecans, saving a couple of tablespoons for topping the pudding. Fold with a spatula to combine into a thick, smooth batter.
  • Spread the batter evenly into the prepared dish. Slice the second banana and place the pieces on top of the batter, followed by the reserved pecans.
  • Make the sauce by combining the sugar, rum and honey in a small bowl, then gradually pour in the hot water, whisking as you go till the sugar as dissolved.
  • Place the baking dish on a baking tray, then pour this liquid slowly all over the surface of the batter. It will come right to the rim of the dish, that's ok. (see photos below)
  • Carefully place the tray in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. You will see or hear the sauce bubbling around the sides as well.
  • Let the pudding stand for 10 to 15 minutes to let the sauce below thicken (this is because of the higher water to sugar proportion). The surface of the pudding will rise as it bakes and fall slightly as it cools.
  • Serve while still warm and the sauce is gooey! Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and enjoy :) Best eaten fresh, but can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheated as needed. The sauce will be much thicker once refrigerated. Happy baking!

Notes

*I haven't tried this recipe without the egg. You can probably increase the milk to 1/3rd cup in the absence of the egg to keep the cake moist but it might be a little less fluffy.
*The sauce can be thickened further by adding 1 tsp cornflour if you prefer, since it will be a little watery when the pudding is just out of the oven. However, it thickens on its own as the pudding cools, so I didn't find the cornstarch necessary and there's a chance it becomes more gluggy that way. In addition, more sugar will help thicken the sauce faster too, as well as give it a deeper colour. The reason I didn't use more than 1/3rd cup is I felt the pudding was already quite sweet. 
*Adapted from BBC Good Food