A favourite in our house, this is the requested birthday cake from each of my children.

Ingredients

• 115g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 55g (2 oz) cold butter, chopped into small cubes
• 125g (4oz) butter
• 125ml (4 fluid oz or 1/2 cup ) cream
• 225g (7.9 oz or 1 cup) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup (approx 2 large bananas) mashed ripe banana
• 250g (8 oz or 2 cups) flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (125ml) milk with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• icing
• 125g (4 oz) cream cheese
• 50g (1.7oz) butter, softened
• 2 cups icing sugar (confectioners sugar)
• squeeze of lemon juice

Method

Caramel; Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to the boil and then stop stirring and allow to bubble until the colour changes to golden and then into amber.  Quickly remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, once this has melted then add the cream and whisk until smooth.  Set aside. Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).  Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin. To make the cake; Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  Mix in the banana and then the sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then turn out onto a wire cake rack to cool completely. Cream Cheese Icing; Place the cream cheese, butter, lemon juice and icing sugar into the bowl of a food processor or blender and mix until smooth. Once the cake has cooled completely then cut in half crosswise, a bread knife is probably easiest for this. Ice the bottom layer with cream cheese icing and then sandwich the cake back together.  Ice the top of the cake with icing and leave to set. Just before serving drizzle the cake with the caramel. Serve with extra caramel on the side.