A deliciously moist banana pudding from the talented Peter Gilmore, featuring perfectly ripe bananas baked into a fluffy cake and topped with a rich, homemade butterscotch sauce. This warm dessert is best served with vanilla bean ice cream for the ultimate comfort food experience. Serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients

For the Banana Pudding

• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 tablespoons water
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 140g (3/4 cup) soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• Vanilla bean ice cream, to serve

For the Butterscotch Sauce

• 50g unsalted butter
• 120g (2/3 cup) soft brown sugar
• 250ml pouring cream

Instructions

• Preheat and prepare: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour a pudding bowl or a square cake tin.
• Cook the bananas: Mash the bananas and place in a saucepan with the water. Cook gently for a couple of minutes.
• Cream butter and sugar: Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer and then add the eggs, one at a time.
• Combine ingredients: Fold in the flour and baking powder, then add the cooked bananas and vanilla essence, mixing well.
• Bake: Place the mixture into the prepared bowl or tin and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until a skewer is inserted and comes out clean.
• Make butterscotch sauce: Place all the butterscotch sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat gently, while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes and continue to stir. Remove from the heat, ready to reheat when required.
• Serve: Serve the pudding hot with warm butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.

Recipe from Peter Gilmore via Starlight Children's Foundation Cookbook