In this Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake recipe, a moist, tender, rum-infused spice cake is topped with drippy caramel and sliced bananas to make the most delicious twist on the classic upside-down cake. One bite is all it takes to fall in love with this dessert mashup for life.
We’ve officially entered full-on cabin fever mode around these parts. The snow drifts cover the bottom third of our windows and the wind bends the pine trees outside just beyond our patio and all I can do is sit inside, clad in wool socks with a chunky blanket around my shoulders, and will it to be springtime already. I mean, the groundhog didn’t see his shadow this year, right? Spring has to be just around the corner. Unfortunately, the weather forecast says otherwise.
So instead of pouting about it, I bake. It keeps our home a little warmer, a little cozier, and we all seem to be a little less stir-crazy when dessert is around — especially if that dessert is this bananas foster upside-down cake. Or, try these Banana Bread Muffins for breakfast!
How to Make
When you break down this cake recipe into its components, it’s surprisingly simple. For instance, you start with a quick caramel sauce made with butter and brown sugar that comes together in less than five minutes. Once that’s poured into the cake pan, you top it with sliced banana halves. Finally, stir together the cake batter — a tender spice cake with cinnamon and walnuts and a hint of rum — and pour the batter over the bananas.
Once it’s baked, you let the cake rest for a few minutes, then flip it over to reveal that lovely caramelized banana-lined topping. The hardest part is letting it cool before digging in.
Tips For Success
For maximum success in baking this bananas foster upside-down cake, here are a few pro tips for ya:
1. Use barely-ripe bananas for the cake. If they’re too ripe, they might end up mushy once baked. Too unripe, and they’ll taste bland. Just like for my hummingbird cake, use bananas that are mostly yellow but without any brown blemishes.
2. The walnuts in the cake are optional (though I do love the texture they offer), so feel free to leave them out or swap them for chocolate chips. FOR SURE doing that next time I make this cake.
3. To cut the cake into clean, even slices, use a very sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion when cutting through the top layer of bananas.
If you’ve never tried bananas foster, or baked an upside-down cake, let this recipe change all of that for you. If you love caramel and bananas and spice cake, you’ll love this dessert. I can’t promise it will cure cabin fever, but it sure does help.
P.S. Going bananas for more banana recipes? Try my Cookie Butter Banana Bread, these banana chocolate chip muffins, or my Mini Banana Cream Cookie Pies.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
For the brown sugar caramel:
- ¼ cup butter, room temperature
- ⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 3 large bananas, halved lengthwise
For the cake:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons dark rum
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup walnuts, finely chopped
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350F. Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
- Prepare brown sugar caramel: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 1/4 cup butter. Stir in 1/3 cup brown sugar and heavy cream; bring to a boil. Stir in 1 tablespoon rum and vanilla; cook for 1 minute. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Arrange halved bananas cut side-down on top of syrup mixture in bottom of pan.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter on medium speed 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth. Stir in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 1 ½ teaspoons (½ tablespoon) rum.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon until well combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition. Gently stir in walnuts and sour cream. Pour and spread batter over bananas in pan.
- Bake 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Top cake pan with parchment paper and an upside-down cooling rack; carefully but quickly invert cake pan onto paper-topped rack. Remove pan to reveal cake. Cool completely before slicing.
- Store covered tightly in a refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I used apple cider and Greek yogurt to make this cake. The caramel was very flavorful and the cake was very moist. I love an upside-down cake, but I always get so nervous when turning it over. But it turned out great!
Can you please suggest another alternative for rum and sour cream?
Nerdie, You can leave the rum out entirely and swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt, if desired!
This looks amazing! Bananas foster always reminds me of Mother’s Day Brunch at the restaurant we always go to!
Rachel | http://www.rachelstriving.com
Rachel — I want to go to that brunch! 😉