This Banana upside-down cake is fluffy and moist with a caramelized banana topping and warm spices. It can be served by itself or with a scoop of ice cream. It is as delicious as this Mango Upside Down Cake!
Table of Contents
How to make Banana Upside-Down Cake
- Prepare the batter: Preheat oven to 350º F (about 180º C). Place the rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with three-inch (7.5 cm) sides with butter or a non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, beat in the vanilla extract.
- Next, add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
- Then, add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk in the following sequence: flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. Reserve.
- At this point, prepare the topping (caramel), slice the bananas, arrange both according to the instructions below, and then as the last step beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar (also see instructions below).
- To prepare the banana upside-down cake topping: Place the butter, brown sugar, and spices in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until butter melts and the sugar has dissolved.
- Without stirring, continue cooking for a few more minutes or until bubbles just start to form around the outside edges of the mixture (i.e. the sugar begins to caramelize).
- Then remove from heat, add the vanilla, and stir. Pour into a greased cake pan. Evenly arrange the sliced bananas on top of the caramel.
- In a separate clean and dry stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites at low speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar.
- Then, beat at medium speed, increasing the speed gradually to high until the whites form a firm peak. With a large rubber spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter.
- Then pour the batter into the caramel-and-banana lined cake pan. Smooth the top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (the top of the cake will have browned and also will start to pull away from the sides of the pan).
- Remove from oven. Place on a wire rack to cool for approximately 10 minutes. Run a small metallic icing spatula or a sharp knife around the edge of the pan.
- Invert it onto a serving plate. Serve caramel banana cake warm by itself or with vanilla ice cream on top.
- Note: Banana upside-down cake recipe based on Pineapple Upside Down Cake from the website Joy of Baking
Types of Banana Cake
Bananas are one of my favorite fruits, and banana upside-down cake is something that I crave often.
But this one is none like you have had before. It's caramel is flavored with spices and the cake is fluffy. Something very Brazilian!
In Brazil, the highest producer of bananas is the Northeast region.
There are basically 3 types of banana cakes:
- a mildly sweet banana bread usually made in a ring mold,
- a gooey one that looks like a pastry bar,
- and the banana upside down cake, although the bananas are usually cut lengthwise or sliced straight.
Which one to choose? It was a hard decision!
But I decided on the banana upside-down cake. It reminded me of the pineapple upside-down cake that my Mom used to make when I was a child.
The problem is she does not have the recipe anymore. I am on my own. 'Oh, boy, here we go again,' I thought.
Luckily, this time I came across the most fabulous recipe-- none other than one from Joy of Baking. This chance but very instructive visit got me hooked on this site. Stephanie Jaworski, you rock!
Using the Pineapple Upside Down Cake recipe from there as starting point, I ended up making the best banana upside-down cake that I have ever eaten.
If you give our Caramel Banana Cake a try, you will understand exactly what I mean.
Of course, to make it my own I had to add my own special touches to this banana cake recipe (e.g. adding spices and vanilla extract to the topping, among a few other adjustments). 😉 I couldn't be more pleased.
CHEF'S NOTES FOR BANANA UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
To have great results, follow the tips below:
- Make sure to sift flour and baking powder before measuring. This helps obtain the correct amount of each ingredient while sifting them makes the batter lighter.
- Both butter and eggs must be at room temp in order to cream.
- Beat butter and sugar till fluffy and doubled in volume.
- Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Alternate flour with milk, starting and finishing with flour (the dry ingredient).
- Fold the beaten egg whites gently.
- Make sure the sugar has dissolved completely when preparing caramel.
HOW TO STORE
- Store Banana Cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Or, store in the fridge, covered, for up to 4-5 days.
- Freezing is not recommended because bananas may become mushy.
OTHER BAKED FRUIT DESSERT RECIPES
- Upside Down Banana Bread
- Chocolate Strawberry Slump
- Cherry Bars
- Peach Maple Breakfast Pie
- Easy Apple Pie
- Apple Skillet Cake
- Apple Hand Pies
- Mango Muffins
PIN & ENJOY!
Spiced Banana Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE BATTER
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 2 teaspoon baking powder sifted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs at room temp
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
For the Banana Topping
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter cut in small pieces
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 ripe bananas peeled, strings removed, sliced diagonally ¼ inch thick
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F (about 180º C). Place rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan with three-inch (7.5 cm) sides with butter or a non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and the salt.Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then, beat in the vanilla extract.
- Next, add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Next, add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk in the following sequence: flour, milk, flour, milk, flour. Reserve.
- At this point, prepare the topping (caramel), slice the bananas, arrange both according to the instructions below, and then as the last step beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar (also see instructions below).
- o prepare the banana upside down cake topping: Place the butter, brown sugar, and spices in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until butter melts and the sugar has dissolved.Without stirring, continue cooking for a few more minutes or until bubbles just start to form around the outside edges of the mixture (i.e. the sugar begins to caramelize).
- Then remove from heat, add the vanilla, and stir.Pour into a greased cake pan. Evenly arrange the sliced bananas on top of the caramel.In a separate clean and dry stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites at low speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar.
- Then, beat at medium speed, increasing the speed gradually to high until the whites form a firm peak. With a large rubber spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter.
- Then pour the batter into the caramel-and-banana lined cake pan. Smooth the top. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (the top of the cake will have browned and also will start to pull away from the sides of the pan).Remove from oven.
- Place on a wire rack to cool for approximately 10 minutes. Run a small metallic icing spatula or a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Invert the banana upside down cake onto a serving plate. Serve Banana Upside Down Cake warm by itself or with vanilla ice cream on top
Recipe Notes
- Banana upside down cake recipe based on Pineapple Upside Down Cake from the website Joy of Baking.
- STORAGE: Store Banana Cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or, store in the fridge, covered, for up to 4-5 days. Freezing is not recommended because banana may become mushy.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Carol says
Hum Denise que Torta de Banana Maravilhosa! Aqui em casa fazemos sempre e ela é uma das nossas tortas prediletas!
Sucesso Sempre!
Denise Browning says
Obrigada!!! Um abraco!
Sandra says
Delish! I made this last night and there is not much left. My husband and I almost ate the whole cake. Thanks for a great recipe!
Denise Browning says
Sandra:
How awesome! Thanks a lot for stopping by and letting me know.
My family is also crazy for this cake -- so much that I have used other fruits as well to make this cake. It's always a hit at my household! Fall is almost here... I think apples or pears would make a great replacement for bananas. What do you think?
Sandra says
I really love it with bananas but it would be good with pears or apples too. Thanks again.
Andrea says
Very nice, I am Brazilian and this pie is very popular here for all the country.
Denise Browning says
Hi, Andrea! Thank you and welcome to FBTY.
My family and I are crazy for this banana cake. It is basically a variation of our 'bolo de abacaxi caramelado' or our upside down pineapple cake. I hope you have the chance to make it and enjoy. have an awesome weekend. Our site will be full of Brazilian recipes in Portuguese soon. We are finishing to translate most of it. I hope you return soon. xx
Colleen says
Is there an alternative pan that can be used, like a std round cake pan?
Denise Browning says
Absolutely, Colleen! You can use any shape of pan to bake this cake. But be aware that the baking time will not be exactly the same.
Diana says
I love this cake!! I tried this recipe and posted this on my blog and linked back to you of course! thank you for the amazing recipe :))
Denise Browning says
Hi, Diana!
I am happy that you made this and enjoyed it a lot! Thank you also for linking back to me. Wishing you an awesome weekend!
kristin says
Well well well.... Look what we have here. I get to be the first official reviewer for making this cake. Let me just start off with - it's SO Easy!!! The cake is the most light, fluffy cake I've ever had - a baker would dream of making this type of cake. I love bananas, so guess what of course I'm going to love the topping. However, it was truly unbelievable - definitely Top 10 desserts I've ever had (yes, that does include going to a restaurant and ordering a dessert). The caramel is so easy to make. At first once I poured it, it started hardening up by the time I placed all the bananas on - don't worry about it. It just goes back to being an ooey gooey caramel when in the oven. Ok enough. Please do me a favor and make it - I would even recommend making this the first time for a dinner party - FOOL PROOF. I hope you get the picture that it's damn good!
Denise Browning says
You are definetely the first reviewer for this cake, Kristin! It has become one of my family favorite cakes too. Thanks for making the cake and also for the nice review! You made my day...xx
urkillinmesmalls says
I love that its made from things i have in my pantry right now. Cant wait to try it, thank you!
Denise Browning says
We're welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do... xx
urkillinmesmalls says
I love this because looking at the ingredient list I dont have to make a shopping trip. Its all things I have in my pantry all the time. Cant wait to try this for my family, thank you!
hungrysofia says
This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it!
Denise Browning says
Thanks, Sofia! Half of the cake was gone in 1 hour. Just my hubby and I were at home. 🙂