Anna Gare’s Banana Toffee Tart
This gorgeous dessert is the lovechild of banoffee pie and cheesecake. I like to think it’s inherited the best features from both sides of the family.

Banana Toffee Tart
SERVES 8
Ingredients
base
- 125 g (4½ oz) unsalted butter, melted,
- plus extra for greasing
- 300 g (10½ oz) spiced speculaas biscuits (cookies) (see Note)
- 180 g (6¼ oz) good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped and melted
filling
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) thin (pouring) cream
- 250 g (9 oz) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 5 large firm, ripe bananaschocolate ganache topping
chocolate ganache topping
- 50 g (1¾ oz) good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
- 2 tablespoons thin (pouring) cream
toffee pecan topping
- 165 g (5¾ oz/¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water
- 50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) pecans
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Grease a 25 cm (10 inch) loose-based round fluted tart (flan) tin and line the base with baking paper.
- TO MAKE THE BASE, blitz the biscuits in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix together until combined.
- Press the biscuit mixture evenly over the base and up the side of the tin, pressing it firmly with your hands to ensure it is solid.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin to set.
- Spread the melted chocolate over the base and side of the cooled tart case (still in the tin). Refrigerate the tart case until the chocolate has completely chilled.
- When ready to fill, carefully remove the case from the tart tin, peel off the baking paper and put the tart case on a serving plate.
- TO MAKE THE FILLING, beat the cream, mascarpone, honey and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer until lightly combined and the consistency of whipped cream. Do not overmix.
- Spread the filling over the chocolate biscuit base.
- Cut the bananas into 1.5 cm (⅝ inch) thick rounds and push them into the cream mixture to completely cover. Pop in the fridge until ready to top.
- TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE TOPPING, melt the chocolate and cream together over a double boiler (or on a gentle heat in the microwave) until well combined and smooth, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- TO MAKE THE TOFFEE PECAN TOPPING, put the sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil over low heat. Gently stir a few times until the sugar has dissolved.
- Increase the heat to high and, once boiling, continue to cook, without stirring, for 4–5 minutes. Brush down the side of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals. When it turns a golden toffee colour, it is ready. Do not be tempted to taste or touch the caramel at any point — it is very hot and can burn.
- Remove from the heat immediately, allow the bubbles to settle, then add the pecans and pour the mixture onto a tray lined with baking paper to cool and harden.
- Chop the hardened praline to a chunky consistency.
- TO TOP THE TART, drizzle two-thirds of the ganache topping over the banana cream filling, top with thew toffee pecans, then drizzle the remaining ganache over the top.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Chef’s tip
You can also use any plain sweet biscuits for this base, just as you would for a cheesecake. Just add a pinch of cinnamon to spice things up!
Recipe and image from Eat In by Anna Gare, published by Murdoch Books, RRP $39.99. And to read our interview with Anna (including her best birthday baking cheats), click here.
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