Method

1. To make the butterscotch sauce, place the brown sugar, butter and cream into a saucepan and bring gently to the boil, stirring until thick and smooth. Remove from the heat. Butter a 1.2 litre (2 pint) pudding basin.

2. Place the butter, caster sugar, eggs, flour and bananas into a basin and beat well together. Pour half the butterscotch sauce into the base of the prepared basin and carefully spoon over the pudding mixture. Cover with a disc of baking parchment and place a double thickness of foil over the top of the basin. Tie the foil on with string, leaving enough to be able to lift the pudding out of the saucepan.

3. Put the basin in a large saucepan and pour in boiling water to come half-way up the side of the basin, steam for 15 minutes - moving the saucepan partially of the boiling plate if necessary to maintain a gentle boil.

4. Transfer the covered saucepan, complete with water and pudding to the simmering oven. Steam for about 1 1/2 hours in the simmering oven until the pudding is cooked through.

5. Turn the pudding out onto a serving dish, gently reheat the remainder of the sauce and pour over the top.