We’ve all been there – you buy a bunch of bananas, only to find them turning brown and spotty within days. But don’t despair! Instead of throwing them out, there’s a delicious way to use them up: Nigella Lawson’s simple banoffee cheesecake. This recipe takes only 10 minutes to prepare and transforms those seemingly sad bananas into a decadent and comforting dessert.
Nigella herself describes the magic of this recipe: “I love the way a handful of mournfully overripe, positively unprepossessing bananas give rise to this vulgarly triumphant cha-cha-cha of a cheesecake.” And she’s right! While it’s still a cheesecake, the texture is light and airy, almost mousse-like, unlike your typical dense cheesecake. The flavor is rich and heady, making it the perfect treat for a chilly autumn evening.
How to Make Banoffee Cheesecake
For the Base:
* 250g digestive biscuits
* 75g unsalted butter
For the Cheesecake:
* Six large eggs
* Four medium (around 600g) overripe bananas
* 60ml lemon juice
* 700g cream cheese (at room temperature)
* 150g light brown sugar
For the Toffee Sauce:
* 100g unsalted butter
* 125ml golden syrup
* 75g light brown sugar
Equipment:
* Ovenproof clingfilm or tin foil
* Springform cake tin
* Roasting tin
Instructions:
1.
Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan or gas mark 3).
Boil the kettle and wrap the outside of the cake tin in a double layer of ovenproof cling film. This will protect the cheesecake as it bakes in hot water later.2.
Make the biscuit base:
Combine the digestive biscuits and butter until they start to clump together. Press the mixture into the bottom of the cake tin and place it in the fridge.3.
Make the cheesecake filling:
Mash the bananas with a fork, then combine them with the lemon juice in a bowl. In a separate bowl or food processor, mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and mix until combined. Pour the mashed banana mixture into the cream cheese mixture and stir until everything is smooth.4.
Assemble the cheesecake:
Take the well-wrapped cheesecake tin out of the fridge and pour the cheesecake filling into it. Place the cake tin in the center of a roasting tray. Pour the recently boiled water into the tray until it reaches halfway up the cake tin.5.
Bake:
Place the tray in the oven and bake for one hour and ten minutes. After an hour, check the cheesecake. The top should be set, but with a slight wobble.6.
Cool:
Once the cheesecake is ready, remove the tray from the oven and take the cake tin out of the tray. Carefully peel the clingfilm off the cake tin and let the cheesecake cool completely.7.
Chill:
After the cheesecake has cooled, refrigerate it overnight. Do not cover it until it’s fully chilled.8.
Make the toffee sauce:
Melt the butter and golden syrup together in a saucepan over low heat. Once the mixture starts to bubble, cook for one to two minutes until it becomes a foamy amber-colored sauce.9.
Serve:
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Carefully remove it from the cake tin and drizzle a generous amount of toffee sauce on top. Enjoy!This recipe is a great way to use up those overripe bananas and make a delicious and impressive dessert. So next time you find yourself with a bunch of bananas on the verge of turning brown, remember Nigella’s ingenious recipe. Your taste buds will thank you!
