Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake

This Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake is absolutely decadent. Served warm, topped with some fresh whipped cream and you’ve got a simple dessert that’s just to die for.

I’ve made this cake numerous times and it’s honestly one of my favorite cakes of all time. I’ve also shared it with friends who enjoy it as much as I do.

If you’re a regular follower here at the BHK, you know the first non-box cake I attempted back in the day was a pineapple upside-down cake. My dad LOVED it. I don’t even remember where I found the recipe, but it looked so pretty I just had to try it.

If you’ve never tried making an upside-down cake, it’s actually super easy. You can pretty much use any kind of fruit in place of the classic pineapple/maraschino cherry combo.

Step-By-Step Instructions

The first step is to make a brown sugar glaze in a saucepan on your stovetop before adding it to your 9-inch round cake pan and then you’ll top it in a single layer with your sliced bananas. I like to slice my bananas lengthwise (as pictured)↓, but you could also slice them diagonally into 1/4-inch thick slices.

The second step is to make your cake batter which isn’t overly sweet, so it totally balances out the sweetness of the brown sugar glaze. It’s so nice, moist and fluffy. First, you’ll whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Then you’ll whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.

The third step is to pour the batter over the bananas and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out mostly clean with just a crumb or two.

The last step is to run a knife around the edges of the pan when you remove it from the oven. Let cool for just 4-5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. If any of the bananas stick to the pan, just carefully remove and place on top of the cake.

You will want to let the cake cool for about 15-20 minutes before slicing and enjoying, or you can cool to room temperature. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It’s soooo good guys!

I know you guys are just going to LOVE this cake!

Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!

Caramelized Banana Up-Side Down Cake

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: 8 servings

Print Recipe SaveSaved! Pin Recipe

This Caramelized Banana Upside-Down Cake is absolutely decadent. Served warm, topped with some fresh whipped cream and you've got a simple dessert that's just to die for.

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Ingredients  

Topping

• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 4 bananas, sliced lengthwise

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar and mix until well combined. Pour into prepared pan. Top the brown sugar mixture with the bananas, flat side down. Use as many as you need to fill the pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter over the bananas and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out mostly clean with just a crumb or two.
• Run a knife around the edges of the pan when you remove it from the oven. Let cool for just 4-5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. If any of the bananas stick to the pan, just carefully remove and place on top of the cake.

  Let cool for about 15-20 minutes before slicing and enjoying, or you can cool to room temperature. Serve with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Notes

As I mentioned above, I used a 9-inch round cake pan for my cake, but you could also use a 9-inch skillet and just cook the brown sugar glaze right in the skillet, top it with the fruit and then add the cake batter and bake. 

This cake is delicious served warm topped with fresh whipped cream or even vanilla ice cream on the side.

Keyword: bananas, cake, upside-down cake

Cuisine: American

Course: Breakfast, Dessert