Prepare the Dish and Bread: Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Generously grease a 2.5-litre baking dish with the softened butter. Spread the brioche cubes in the prepared dish in an even layer.

Make the Custard: In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together until pale and slightly thickened. Whisk in the whole milk, double cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until everything is well combined.

Soak the Bread: Pour the custard mixture evenly over the brioche cubes. Gently press the bread down with a spatula to ensure every piece is submerged and starting to soak up the liquid. Let it stand at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. I used to struggle with a dry pudding until I discovered this step is essential for a moist, even bake.

Bake the Pudding: Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. The pudding is ready when the top is golden brown, puffed up, and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let it cool for about 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

Start the Sauce: While the pudding cools, melt 100g of butter in a large, deep skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the dark brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.

Add the Bananas: Gently add the sliced bananas to the pan in a single layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until they begin to soften and are coated in the caramel sauce.

The Flambé (Optional but Recommended!): This is the fun part! Carefully pour the dark rum over the bananas. If you feel confident, tilt the pan slightly towards the gas flame to ignite it, or use a long-handled lighter. **Please be extremely careful and stand back.** Let the flames burn out, which takes about 30 seconds. This step burns off the harsh alcohol, leaving behind a wonderful, deep rum flavour. If you're not comfortable with this, simply let the sauce simmer for another minute to cook off some of the alcohol.

Serve: Spoon the warm Bananas Foster sauce and bananas over the top of the warm bread pudding. Serve immediately, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of cream.