Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake

Listen, I love banana bread as much as anybody else. It’s great! It’s delicious! You can iterate endlessly (hello, miso)!

But.

Sometimes, it’s nice to mix things up. And if we’re going to be telling some hard truths today, cake is more exciting than bread. (Don’t tell my partner I said that.) Cake that involves a boozy, caramel-y bottom-turned-topping is maybe the MOST exciting. So we’re going to make one.

Well, I’m going to make several while I tweak things, but YOU’re going to make one. Or two. Or as many as you like while you tweak things too!

If you’re wondering how I managed to make these cakes come out such wildly different colors, it’s a very long story involving online boardgames, overflowing ovens, accidentally turning the oven OFF halfway through the baking process– a real one-woman Abbott & Costello routine. Suffice it to say that both tasted great, but yours will probably come out on the lighter side.

Pro tip: This whole cake is bomb, but the edges where the caramel gets a little bit chewy are where it’s at.

So! Let’s give your loaf pan a break for a hot sec and call your cast iron skillet up to the plate, whhaddya say? (Wow look at that metaphor, who knew quarantine me was such a sports aficionado, huh?)

Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake

Adapted from David Leibovitz and Food52

  • 1/4 c. Unsalted Butter
  • 1/3 c. plus 1/2 c. Dark Brown Sugar, divided
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 4 Bananas, sliced lengthwise
  • 1 1/2 c. Flour
  • 1 1/2 t. Baking Powder
  • 3/4 t. Salt
  • 1/2 c. Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 c. White Sugar (use up to 1/2 c. if you have a more serious sweet tooth)
  • 1 T. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Egg, plus 1 Egg Yolk
  • 1 c. Buttermilk, room temperature
  • 3/4 c. Nuts, chopped (I used pecans and walnuts, but others would work too)

Preheat your oven to 350. Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat; add butter, 1/3 c. brown sugar, and salt, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat and press in bananas, cut side down. Set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside. Whisk oil, remaining 1/2 c. brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add egg and yolk, then whisk for a few minutes until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, then fold in flour mixture with a spatula until almost no streaks remain. Fold in nuts until just combined.

Scrape batter over bananas and smooth top. Place skillet on top of a baking sheet to catch caramel overflow (please, please learn from my mistakes and do this…); bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edge of the skillet. Let sit for 5 minutes, then invert (be brave!) onto a serving platter. If any bananas or caramel get stuck in the skillet, gently scrape them off and replace them on the cake. Let cool briefly so the caramel doesn’t rob you of a layer of skin and/or the ability to taste the delicious creation you just worked so hard on.

This cake is really best the day it’s made, though it will keep for another day or two. If you don’t think you can make it through the whole cake on day one, maybe you’ve got a neighbor who’d appreciate a socially-distant cake drop off! (If you live near me I can guarantee you do…)

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