Banana Butterscotch Bannoffee trifle

I know my first instinct when I have ripe bananas is to make banana bread but I was wondering what else I could make that wasn't as cakey, but a more luscious dessert. I had some sponge cake leftover from making my panda cupcakes from cutting out the centres so I thought I might use it for a trifle.

Bananas and caramel sauce or butterscotch sauce are simply one of my favourite ever combinations. My Bannoffee addiction is testament to that. This is quite Bannoffee like just without the biscuit crust. It's so soft and smooth and rapturous that it is quite hard to stop at one. You'd have to have 1 and a half at least. And I'd most certianly suggest making double the amount of sauce for you to have plain with bananas later.

Be sure to dip deep and get some rum or dessert wine soaked sponge or it may be a little strong when you reach the bottom. Unless of course, that's precisely the point!

Banana Butterscotch trifle

Ingredients (serves 4 cups)

• 1 cup vanilla custard (bought or made using directions on packet)

• 150ml thickened cream

• small splash of rum or sweet sticky dessert wine for each cup (optional)

• 150g packet cake cut into smaller 3cm pieces

• 3 medium bananas, peeled, sliced

• 75g slivered almonds, toasted

Butterscotch sauce

• 75g butter, cubed

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 150ml thickened cream

Method

Step 1 - Make butterscotch sauce: Place butter, sugar and cream into a saucepan over low heat. Stir until butter has melted. Simmer gently for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 20 minutes or until thickened.

Step 2 - Whip cream with 1 tablespoon of sugar

Step 3 - Get 4 x 250ml cups and add sponge at the bottom. Splash a small amount of rum on sponge (about 1 teaspoon). Layer with butterscotch sauce, then thinly sliced banana pieces (about 5 pieces). Then add custard, more bananas and butterscotch sauce. Then top with whipped cream, a little more butterscotch sauce and toasted flaked almonds (cooled).

Step 4 - Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (overnight if the sponge is very stale).