Banana Cake with Tahini Caramel Cream

A very light banana cake and a mini February round up

Feb 28, 2025

∙ Paid

Hello and welcome back to Sweet Things.

Well done on making it to the end of the month! Signs of spring have put me in a rather good mood. I still find myself leaning towards cosy flavours, beige foods and warming spices but the anticipation of longer, sunnier days brings me lots of joy.

This week I’ve got a recipe for a banana cake. It goes without saying that banana bread and banana cake are not the same thing. They give two very different vibes and there’s a time and place for each one. Banana bread, although a timeless classic, had its moment in the height of lockdown and I’m pretty sure I’ve tried nearly every variation possible. It’s a trusty go-to that works for both breakfast and dessert and is typically more dense and sturdy. Banana cake on the other hand, should be lighter. It needs to be a little fluffy and a good vehicle for frostings and fillings without being too weighty.

If you’ve been here a while, you know that single layer cakes are one of my favourite things. So chic. So understated. And that’s exactly what we have here. A light banana sponge topped with a generous layer tahini caramel whipped cream and grated chocolate. It feels a bit like a riff on a banoffee pie but without the tooth-aching sweetness.

I’ve also got a mini round up of some things I’ve enjoyed this month so have a read and then get baking.

Enjoy,

Benjamina x

SWEET THINGS THIS MONTH

The River Cafe Cafe

The River Cafe is an institution in the London restaurant scene. It’s a Michelin star Italian restaurant with a price tag to match. They opened a more casual space right next door last year; The River Cafe Cafe, and I got to visit last week. It’s an all day dining space with a smaller and much more affordable menu than its namesake. The food was quite literally perfect. The embodiment of simple food done very very well. We had the white asparagus risotto, rigatoni with italian sausage and roasted delica pumpkin. Finished things off with a slice of the famous chocolate nemesis; an intense mousse like chocolate cake with the silkiest texture. I’ll most certainly be back.

SWEET by Alexina Anatole

SWEET is the latest addition to my cookbook shelf.

Alexina

has created a beautiful collection of recipes with chapters like milk & honey, bananas & plantain and sweetness in a savoury world. Plus there’s a really helpful section at the beginning with information and diagrams on the function of sugar and how to get the best out of your desserts by playing around with flavour, temperature and texture. I’ve bookmarked so many recipes I want to try such as the carrot halwa cake, cardamom brioche loaf, and the blackcurrant, bay and clotted cream cake.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM

I’ve officially entered my ice cream making era. I avoided it for years because it always felt like such a faff and I never had enough freezer space to chill those big bowls overnight. I was very kindly gifted a Magimix Gelato maker to play around with and I’m obsessed with how easy it is to use. Just make your base, let it chill and then pop it straight into the Magimix to churn. My first batch was salted burnt honey, inspired by the burnt milk ice cream I tried in Mexico. I’ve got a malted milk tea custard base ready to go next and can’t wait to bring you some fun ice cream recipes.