Upside-Down Toffee Date and Banana Cake
1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar
1 1/2 cups (375ml) water
3 star anise
2 medium bananas (400g), sliced thinly
1 cup (140g) dried seeded dates
3/4 cup (180ml) water, extra
1/2 cup dark rum
1 tsp bicarb
60g butter, chopped
1/2 cup (110g) firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp mixed spice
1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
1/2 cup mashed banana
300ml thickened cream
1. Preheat oven 180c/160c fan-forced. Grease deep 22cm round cake pan and line base with baking paper.
2. Stir cater sugar, water and star anise in water over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil uncovered without stirring for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Strain and reserve 1/2 a cup of the syrup to flavour the cream.
3. Toffee Continue to boil the remaining of the syrup uncovered and without stirring for a further 10 minutes. or until golden. Pour into the base of your cake pan. Top with sliced banana.
4. Place the dates, extra water and rum in a small saucepan, bring to the boil then remove from heat. Stir in the bicarb and stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, spice and flour, process until just combined. Stir in mashed banana and pour the mix over the toffee in the cake pan.
5. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn cake, onto serving dish and stand for 2 minutes before removing the pan.
6. Cream Beat cream until form peaks form. Stir in the reserved syrup.