"no-cream caramel" news and stories

Have you ever forgotten about a birthday, or tried to whip up a birthday cake at the last minute? It can be daunting -- especially if you're a from-scratch baker who refuses to indulge in boxed cake mix and tins of frosting. However, if you like bananas, I have just the thing -- Banana Cake, which I found over at Honey and Jam, and came from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. After a few adjustments -- one bundt pan rather than two pans (needs more time to cook), and no "carmel" bananas in the middle or on top -- the result was an incredibly moist and delicious banana cake with a crisp exterior.

Since my whipping cream had mysteriously gone bad a few weeks early, I hunted for a caramel sauce I could pour on top, and settled on this recipe over at Metro. (It's a good thing I didn't notice what site I was on until now, since I've been a bit irked with the store's quality since Dominion became Metro and the selection went down the tubes.) Anyway... It's not the best sauce recipe out there -- but it's a tasty one.

According to the recipe, you're supposed to end up with this mixture that needs to be pulverized in a blender to get smooth. Mine was smooth from the get-go, and actually a bit too watery, so I had to wait about 40 minutes for it to thicken. But the result was perfect for this cake -- a nice sugary rush to balance the intense and tasty banana. Oh, perfect once the rum was added, to give it a little something extra. (Actual rum, rather than extract.)

If you like bananas, banana bread, what have you, give it a try. Your taste buds will thank you.