Move Over Banana Bread, Caramilk Banana Cake Exists And Here’s How To Make It

Cast your mind back to the pandemic—sudden and unexpected lockdowns, exercising at home and developing workarounds for staying sane in iso. While we can all agree that not much good came out of those days, becoming a home baker to whip up your own carby treats at home was definitely a highlight. Banana bread, sourdough and focaccia started taking over the 'Gram as a spot of comfort baking went a long way to lifting one's spirits.

That's why we simply had to reshare the most delicious and spectacular recipe that was floating around the web in 2020 thanks to Elle Dorset and the team over at Dole. Combining two of our favourite eats—Cadbury's Caramilk and banana bread, send this show-stopping cake to the top of your to-do list stat. We promise your mates will love you forever. 

Recipe | Banana Caramilk Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 250g butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 ripe Dole bananas, large, peeled and mashed
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup hot milk
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ block of Cadbury Caramilk, broken into squares

For the Caramilk Ganache:

• 1 block (190g) Cadbury Caramilk
• 200g cream

For the Vanilla Buttercream icing:

• 100g butter, room temperature
• 2 cups icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk

To serve:

• ½ block of Cadbury Caramilk, chopped, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C bake. Line two medium (22cm diameter) cake tins with baking paper.
2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and Dole bananas.
3. Dissolve baking soda in hot milk, add to mixture and stir to combine.
4. Sift in flour and baking powder and fold gently into the mixture until just combined. Do not over-mix. 
5. Spoon mixture into prepared tins and smooth tops. Gently press squares of Caramilk chocolate into the cake batter.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top is golden and springy to the touch. Allow to cool in tins and then turn out.
6. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the Caramilk ganache. In a bain-marie, gently heat the cream over a low heat until small bubbles begin to appear.
7. Remove the cream from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir gently until the chocolate is almost fully melted. Use a whisk to combine the two until the ganache becomes glossy. Cool in the refrigerator and stir occasionally It will gradually thicken over time—it can take around two hours to get to the desired texture. Any remaining ganache can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
8. When the ganache is cool, prepare the vanilla buttercream. In a medium bowl, cream butter with icing sugar, adding ½ cup at a time. Add vanilla and milk and beat with an electric beater until smooth and fluffy. You may need to add more milk to reach the desired consistency.
9. Once the cake is cool and the Caramilk ganache is thick enough to hold its shape, spread the ganache on the top of one cake, gently place the second on top and ice with Vanilla Buttercream Icing as desired.
10. Drizzle the remaining ganache over the iced cake, and gently arrange chopped or whole pieces of Caramilk on top.
11. Store in a sealed container in a cool place for 2-3 days—if it lasts that long.

Want more deliciousness? Try this recipe for Whittaker's Hazella Brownies.

Recipe and image credit: Elle Dorset | Dole NZ