Liquid Gold Layer Cake

A little while ago I picked up a copy of the Cool Layer Cakes cookbook. As I was flicking through I saw the recipe for this cake and I just knew I had to make it. I have tweaked the original recipe slightly but my oh my is it good! Moist banana and chocolate chip cake, peanut butter frosting, caramel sauce and crunchy peanut brittle all combined in one cake makes for a winning combo (unless you're allergic to nuts). Anyway, I definitely feel like I've said cake too many times now so I'll stop blabbering so you can check out the recipe below.

Ingredients:

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake:
120g Unsalted Butter
200g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
2 Very Ripe, Medium or Large Bananas (broken into chunks)
110g Sour Cream
1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
200g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
100g Dark Chocolate Chips or Chunks (minimum 53% cocoa solids)

Caramel Sauce:
225g Caster Sugar
85g Unsalted Butter (chopped into chunks)
125ml Double Cream
60ml Water

Peanut Butter Frosting:
110g Butter
220g Icing Sugar
1 tbsp Peanut Butter
1 tbsp Milk

Peanut Praline:
150g Caster Sugar
2 tbsp Water
100g Salted Peanuts 

Method:

Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 160°C and grease and line two 20 cm round cakes tins.
2. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually add the banana chunks until combined.
4. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract.
5. Gently mix in the flour and baking soda and then add the chocolate chips.
6. Divide the mixture equally between the prepared tins and bake for approximately 50-60 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:
1. Heat the sugar and water in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat.
2. Do not stir the sugar, but swirl the saucepan to help dissolve if necessary.
3. When the liquid sugar becomes a deep amber colour, add the butter. The mixture will then foam up and thicken.
4. Whisk until the butter melts, then take the saucepan off the heat and mix in the cream.
5. Cool in the saucepan to room temperature. Don't worry if the sauce seems thin at first, it will soon thicken.

Peanut Butter Frosting:
1. Beat the butter and icing sugar together. If the butter is too hard, soften slightly in the microwave.
2. Add the peanut butter and mix together.
3. Add a tablespoon of milk if the mixture is too stiff.

Praline:
1. Heat the sugar and water in a large saucepan set over a medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Do not stir.
2. Scatter the peanuts across a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
3. When the liquid sugar is a deep amber colour, pour it over the nuts.
4. Spread it with an oiled spatula to create an even, thin layer.
5. Allow to set, then tap the praline with the end of a rolling pin to break into shards.

Finish:
1. Level the top of the cake and cut in half.
2. Place the first layer on a cake stand and apply buttercream followed by a drizzle of the caramel sauce.
3. Spread an even and neat layer on the top.
4. Stick the praline shards into the top of the cake at angles. Add the praline crumbs for added crunch and texture.

Top 5 Food Stalls - Camden Market

Aside from its vibrant atmosphere and jumble of eclectic clothing and gift stalls, Camden Market is where its at if you're looking for scrumptious street food in London. I've put together a small list of the top five food stalls from my most recent visit. There's plenty of others I would have liked to have tried but unfortunately you can only eat so much in a day (life is so unfair).

Nazari - Falafel Flatbread

First up was this falafel flatbread from Nazari which was beyond delicious and probably the best I'd ever tasted. Teamed with hummus, baby leaves, lightly dressed cabbage slaw, pomegranate seeds, yoghurt mint garlic tahini and chilli sauce, all wrapped up in a freshly made flatbread. This Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fusion of flavours was an absolute delight. I also opted for the addition of Halloumi which, let's face it, was probably the best decision I made all day.

Makatcha - Rendang 

Makatcha make their Rendang curry using coconut cream, lemon grass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. They serve with fluffy rice, fresh vegetables, Malaysian peanut sauce and Singaporean achar for the perfect Indonesian taste sensation. This is without a doubt the sort of a dish you want to recreate when you get back home.

Oli Baba - Halloumi Fries

So next up was Oli Baba's infamous Halloumi fries. Back in 2015 these guys caused quite the food riot with their delicious cheesy fries and are still going from strength to strength. Topped with a Middle Eastern sauce, mint leaves, chilli flakes and pomegranate seeds these dreamy deep fried cheese strips are worth every artery clogging calorie.

Perfect Poffertjes - Dutch Pancakes

When I spotted Perfect Poffertjes whipping up a fresh batch of Dutch pancakes I was literally pushing my way to the front of the queue. These little pockets of fluffy goodness are just something else. Great topped with butter and a sprinkling of sugar or (my personal preference) half a pot of Nutella drizzled on top! Probably great to share but I wouldn't know because I scoffed them all.

Lantana Cafe - Hot Chocolate

Finally we stopped off at Lantana Cafe which is located in the middle of Camden Lock Market. So it technically isn't a food stall but I just had to include it. Offering a variety of homemade cakes and speciality coffee this is a great little cafe to stop and take a break from the bustling market outside. As well as serving excellent coffee the hot chocolate was pretty special too, like drinking a cup of melted chocolate, I was in heaven. 

So next time you're in Camden make sure you arrive hungry and dig into the amazing selection of street food on offer. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, however my waistline probably isn't.