Vegan Banana Cake With Hokey Pokey Caramel Frosting

Vegan Banana Cake With Hokey Pokey Caramel Frosting

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella

• 2 cups self raising flour

• 1.5 teaspoons bi carb of soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup oil

• 4 ripe bananas

• 3 tablespoons vinegar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For frosting

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1.5 - 2 tablespoons water

• 1/3 cup/83g butter substitute, softened

• 3 cups icing sugar, sifted

• 1/2 cup caster or superfine sugar

• 2 tablespoons water

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 20cm/8 inch pan on the base and sides with baking paper.

Step 2 - In a bowl, mix the flour, bicarb, sugar and salt together whisking together to distribute. In another bowl, mash the bananas with a potato masher or fork and then add the oil, vinegar, water, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the wet mix to the dry mix in two batches and stir until combined. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or so until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Step 3 - In a saucepan, add the brown sugar and water and mix until melted together and syrupy. Cool until room temperature. Then, beat the butter substitute  in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a beater blade until smooth and then add the brown sugar caramel and half of the icing sugar.

Step 4 - In a clean saucepan, add the caster or superfine sugar and the second lot of water. Stir until melted on medium heat until the granules are dissolved and then turn up to medium high heat and allow to turn brown and caramelise but do not stir and do not leave unattended. Once it starts to caramelise, carefully remove from heat as it will continue cooking-careful this is very hot and I don't want you burning yourself! Cool the caramel a little (although it is still remain very hot for a while) and then add to the buttercream mixture and beat on low speed. This should create the little caramel pieces that shatter when you add it to the buttercream. Don't worry if your buttercream melts, now just add the remaining half of the sifted icing sugar and it should come together to become a spreadable icing with little pieces of hokey pokey toffee. If you want to make the pattern shown above, press a teaspoon against the icing firmly to make an indent.