Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a cooked banana filling built on a real caramel. The sugar is taken to a deep amber before the bananas go in, so the finished cream tastes of toffee first and fruit second, with lemon juice to keep it fresh and a little rum in the background.
It sets soft but sliceable thanks to a small amount of gelatine and modified starch, which means it holds its shape between sponge layers instead of running out at the sides. Use it in banana cakes, caramel layer cakes, rolls and tarts, or as a filling for choux buns.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
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Weight Per Unit: 530
Number of Units: 4
Unit Size: 500 g per cake layer
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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750 |
26.4 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
for the caramel
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B
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1000 |
8.3 Bananas
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Banana
Ripe bananas, weighed after peeling. Choose fruit that is well speckled, as the riper the banana the sweeter and more aromatic the finished filling.
ripe
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peeled and sliced |
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C
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75 |
2.5 fluid_ounces
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Water
for the caramel
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hot |
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D
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25 |
2 tablespoons
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Fresh Lemon Juice
Fresh lemon juice is the juice squeezed from whole lemons and strained of seeds and pulp. It gives a natural sharpness and aroma that bottled juice cannot match, and roughly three medium lemons will yield the amount needed here.
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strained |
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E
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25 |
2 tablespoons
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Rum
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F
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100 |
3.5 ounces
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Modified Starch
Modified starch is a corn or tapioca starch that has been treated so it thickens smoothly and stays stable when acid, sugar and freezing are involved. In a glaze it gives body and shine without becoming cloudy or watery; plain corn starch can be used instead, though the set will be a little softer.
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G
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100 |
3.5 ounces
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Sugar
Sugar is the generalized name for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. They are carbohydrates, composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Simple sugars are called monosaccharides and include glucose (also known as dextrose), fructose and galactose. The table or granulated sugar most customarily used as food is sucrose, a disaccharide. (In the body, sucrose hydrolyses into fructose and glucose.) Other disaccharides include maltose and lactose. Longer chains of sugars are called oligosaccharides. Chemically-different substances may also have a sweet taste, but are not classified as sugars. Some are used as lower-calorie food substitutes for sugar described as artificial sweeteners.
for the starch
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H
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15 |
0.5 ounce
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Gelatin
Gelatin or gelatine (from Latin: gelatus meaning "stiff", "frozen") is a translucent, colourless, brittle (when dry), flavourless foodstuff, derived from collagen obtained from various animal by-products. It is commonly used as a gelling agent in food, pharmaceuticals, photography, and cosmetic manufacturing. Substances containing gelatin or functioning in a similar way are called gelatinous. Gelatin is an irreversibly hydrolyzed form of collagen. It is found in most gummy candy as well as other products such as marshmallows, gelatin dessert, and some ice cream, dip and yogurt. Household gelatin comes in the form of sheets, granules, or powder. Instant types can be added to the food as they are; others need to be soaked in water beforehand.
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I
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30 |
1 fluid ounce
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Water
for the gelatine
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cold |
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2120
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
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Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Prepare |
Sprinkle H (gelatine powder) over I (cold water) in a small bowl and leave it to swell. Peel and slice B (bananas) and toss them with D (lemon juice) so they do not darken. |
Gelatine fully swollen and spongy, no dry powder left |
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2 |
Mix |
In a separate bowl, whisk F and G (modified starch and caster sugar) together dry. |
Evenly blended so the starch will not lump later |
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3 |
Caramelise |
Melt A (caster sugar) in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, adding it in stages and letting each addition dissolve before adding more. |
Deep amber caramel with a nutty smell; do not let it burn and turn bitter |
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4 |
Deglaze |
Stand back and carefully pour in C (hot water). Stir over low heat until the caramel dissolves again. |
The mixture will spit and harden at first, then become a smooth caramel syrup |
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5 |
Cook |
Add the lemon-tossed B (bananas) and cook gently, stirring, until they soften and break down into the caramel. |
Bananas soft and pulpy, mixture bubbling gently |
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6 |
Thicken |
Rain in the F and G (modified starch and caster sugar) mixture while stirring constantly, and bring back to a gentle boil. |
Thick and glossy, and the starch taste has cooked out |
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7 |
Dissolve |
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the swollen H and I (gelatine and water). |
Gelatine completely melted with no grains visible |
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8 |
Flavour |
Stir in E (rum) and, if you prefer a smooth filling, blend the mixture with a stick blender. |
Smooth or lightly chunky, as you like it |
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9 |
Cool |
Pour into a shallow tray, cover the surface with cling film touching the filling, and cool to room temperature, then chill. |
Set soft and spreadable, no skin on top |
Important Notes
This half batch makes about 2.1 kg of filling. The chef allows 500 g of filling for one cake, so it is enough for about four cakes. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and use within three days; stir it smooth again before spreading. Once chilled it firms up, so it can be piped or spread between sponge layers without running out at the sides. If you want a chunkier filling, hold back some of the sliced banana and fold it in at the end.
Tools & Arrangements
Heavy based saucepan, wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, small bowls for the gelatine and the starch mix, whisk, shallow tray for cooling, cling film, stick blender (optional), digital scales.
