Preheat oven to 180C.

Butter a baking dish (approx 22cm diameter, but more or less is fine).

Lightly toast the bread or brioche until golden-brown.

If using bread, spread with butter.

Cut slices diagonally and arrange the triangles in the dish, points up, overlapping slightly.

Remove cardamom seeds from the pods and crush in a pestle and mortar or with the end of a rolling pin.

Slice the vanilla bean in half and scrape out the seeds.

Mix cardamom, vanilla seeds, cinnamon, both milks, eggs and sugar in a large bowl to combine.

(If you are preparing ahead – stop now. Clingfilm the bread, put the custard mixture in the fridge. Then all you have to do in the morning, or at the end of the main course is heat the oven, pour over the custard and bake.)

Pour custard over bread/brioche.

Sprinkle a little more sugar over the points that stick out.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned and the custard is set.

Let it cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

(Equally nice reheated later or the next day.)

For the bananas: cut in half length-ways.

Heat the butter in a large frying pan and cook the bananas on both sides until golden and soft.

Sprinkle over the sugar and cook for a few more minutes until they start to caramelise around the edges.

Stir in orange zest and serve immediately with the bread pudding.

(For a slightly lighter dessert, serve simply with oranges peeled and sliced into rounds.)