6 ripe Bananas

1/3 cup maple syrup

120g unsalted butter, softened

200g brown sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g self-raising flour, sifted

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Toffee Sauce

125g unsalted butter

1 cup lightly packed dark-brown sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper, greasing the sides (if you are using a loose-bottomed pan, place a folded sheet of foil around the base in case some of the maple syrup leaks)
2. Pour maple syrup into the base of the pan. Slice 3 bananas in half lengthways and layer them, cut-side down. 
3. For the cake, rinse the remaining 3 bananas under cold water, cut off ends then blend banana and skins together in a food processor.
4. Beat butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then fold in the flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
   Fold in bananas and pour the batter over bananas in pan.
   Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Meanwhile for the toffee sauce, combine butter, sugar, and cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium (so sauce doesn't boil over) and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and darkens slightly, about 4 minutes.
6. Once cake is cooked. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out onto a plate.
7. Pierce hot cake all over with a skewer, then drizzle over half the sauce.
8. Best served warm but also delicious at room temperature.