This easy Banana Upside Down Cake recipe is such a perfect way to use up over-ripe bananas! Treat yourself to this decadent and soft cake baked with its own caramelized banana topping.
Banana Upside Down Cake
I absolutely love bananas and I always make sure I have a bunch on my counter. But what do we do when the last few get too ripe to eat? I usually make a loaf or two of banana bread, but this time I decided to switch it up. This banana upside down cake is such an incredible treat! Plus it looks gorgeous without much effort at all.
If you’re a banana fanatic like me, this recipe is a MUST. With each bite you get moist, springy banana cake, and a burst sweetness with a piece of caramelized banana. If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth or even impress some dinner guests, this cake is the way to go.
What Ingredients Are in Banana Upside Down Cake?
For the caramelized banana topping you will need:
- Butter
- Salt
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla
- Rum*
- Bananas
The bananas I used for the topping weren’t over-ripe. Because it’s a caramel and has plenty of sugar, I opted for less sweet bananas in the topping.
*If you want this cake alcohol-free, you can leave out the rum completely or add some rum extract flavoring.
For the banana cake you will need:
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Over-ripe bananas
- Milk
- Vanilla
How To Quickly Ripen Bananas
There are two great methods that you can use if you’re craving this upside down banana cake, but your bananas just aren’t quite ready. You can:
- Place the bananas on a baking sheet and bake them at 250 F for 10-20 minutes. This will depend on how ripe your bananas are to start out with. Keep an eye on them and add time as you see fit.
- If you are okay with waiting an extra day, place your bananas in a paper bag and fold the top to seal off the outside air. This leaves them in a bag full of their own ethylene, which is what causes them to ripen. Adding an apple, fig, or pear to the bag will help them ripen up a bit more.
How to Make Banana Upside Down Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a 9×13 cake pan.
- Make the topping: Heat the butter, salt, brown sugar, and vanilla in a skillet on the stovetop. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved into the butter and the mixture bubbles. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rum. Spread the caramel evenly on the bottom of the greased cake pan, then top with sliced bananas.
- Make the cake batter: In a small bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas using either a fork or a potato masher. Set aside. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a mixing bowl using a whisk, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between eggs. Stir in the bananas. Mix in half the dry ingredients, the milk and vanilla, and finally the remaining dry ingredients.
- Bake the cake: Pour the cake batter over the caramel and banana slices and spread evenly using a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Flip the cake: Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake pan to release the sides.Turn the cake out onto a platter, cooling rack, or a cutting board. Wear oven mitts to protect your hands from hot caramel. Spoon excess caramel back over the cake, serve, and enjoy!
How Can I Tell When My Cake Is Done Baking?
Use a toothpick and insert it 3/4 of the way through the cake. Once it comes out clean, your cake is all done. The reason I recommend that you don’t insert the toothpick fully is because of that caramel topping. That will stick to the toothpick regardless of the doneness of the cake, and you could risk over-baking it.
What Type of Pan Should I Use?
I used a 9×13 inch cake pan for this recipe. You can also use:
- Two 9 inch round cake pans
- Bundt cake pan
- Jelly roll pan
- Two muffin tins, if you’re making individual sized cakes
Please keep in mind that if you use a different type of cake pan, the baking time will differ.
Tips for Making the Best Banana Upside Down Cake
- Keep the bananas a bit chunky when you mash them.
- Don’t over-mix! Only mix until you no longer see dry ingredients
- Let your bananas get as ripe as possible for the cake! The more ripe the better.
- For the topping, using under-ripe bananas is ideal because they will hold their shape and texture better after being baked.
- Make sure to generously grease your cake pan so that the cake can be turned out easily
Can I Add Mix-Ins to My Banana Upside Down Cake?
This cake would be amazing with mix-ins! You can try out some nuts like pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds. Add some extra sweetness with chocolate/ white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, or a peanut butter chips. Dried fruit like raisins or cherries would be great as well.
How to Store Banana Upside Down Cake
Transfer this cake to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 days. You can eat it cold, or microwave it for 30 seconds or until it heats up slightly.
How to Freeze Banana Upside Down Cake
Store in an airtight container. You can store the pieces together or individually for easier thawing. Let the cake thaw fully in the fridge, and warm each slice up in the microwave before serving if you prefer the cake warm.
Did You Love This Cake? Try These!
- Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
- Easy Banana Bread
- Easy Banana Nut Bread
- Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake
- Marbled Chocolate Banana Bread
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Banana Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Banana Caramel Topping
- ¼ cup butter unsalted
- ¼ tsp salt
- â…” cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp rum
- 3 large bananas not necessarily ripe (or 4), sliced
Banana Cake
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
- 2 bananas ripe
- ½ cup butter unsalted, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare oven and pan: Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees and grease a 9x13-inch cake pan.
- Make the topping: Heat the butter, salt, brown sugar, and vanilla in a skillet on the stovetop. Stir until the brown sugar has dissolved into the butter and the mixture bubbles. Remove from the heat and whisk in the rum. Spread the caramel evenly on the bottom of the greased cake pan, then top with sliced bananas.
- Make the cake batter: In a small bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together. In a separate bowl, mash the ripe bananas using either a fork or a potato masher. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a mixing bowl using a whisk, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between eggs. Stir in the bananas. Mix in half the dry ingredients, the milk and vanilla, and finally the remaining dry ingredients.
- Bake the cake: Pour the cake batter over the caramel and banana slices and spread evenly using a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Flip the cake: Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of the cake pan to release the sides.Turn the cake out onto a platter, cooling rack, or a cutting board. Wear oven mitts to protect your hands from hot caramel. Spoon excess caramel back over the cake, serve, and enjoy!
Yummy, Yummy, Yummy!!! Best way to use a little too ripe bananas!!
Had my husband, who doesn’t bake at all, make this for me on my birthday. Turned out great!
That’s so sweet! Happy birthday to you 🙂
After reducing this recipe by half, would using a cast iron skillet work for this recipe? I think it would result in syrupy caramel glazed bananas. I love doing my pineapple cake in cast iron!
Yes, I think it would work just fine! Let me know how it turns out!
This is a delicious and wonderful way to incorporate so many components of favorite tastes without the simple one or other choices of classic “banana bread.” This is the best yet!!!