Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake

A moist, delectable indulgence!

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Move over pineapples–there’s a new fruit in town and it makes the most perfect upside-down cake: bananas! This moist, intensely flavorful treat features a top layer of caramelized bananas that take this mash-up of banana bread and banana cake to a whole new level.

Is there anything a banana can’t do? Well, sure, but let’s focus on what it can do: be the perfect fruit for cereal (cold or oatmeal), the main ingredient in smoothies, a sweet topper for yogurt or ice cream (hello iconic Banana Split!), and so much more but here, in this Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake, it shows its real superpowers, both in its mashed form in the batter and its gooey caramelized goodness on the cake top.

Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake is elegant enough to serve for a dinner-party dessert (maybe with shots of a Coffee Smoothie spiked with a little something?) and homey enough to make for a family breakfast. It also makes the best afternoon snack!

Is Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake Healthy?

This recipe for Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake calls for healthy ingredients such as Greek yogurt, avocado or coconut oil, and–of course–bananas. But it also offers substitutions to make an even healthier version, including using honey or maple syrup instead of sugar, and whole wheat flour instead of white.

The Caramel Component

When you are preparing Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake, the caramel component is the bottom layer and when you serve it, it’s the top layer–sugary and buttery and studded with bananas that will caramelize during the baking process. Caramel, in its purest form, is basically just melted sugar that turns that beautiful golden brown color as it transforms. In our recipe, we mix melted butter with brown sugar to get a more saucy version. It’s those gooey bananas that makes this cake so addictive.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter for a lighter version, use 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup light brown sugar packed (reduce to 1/2 cup for less sweetness)
2 to 3 medium/large ripe bananas sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 large egg preferably organic
1/4 cup granulated sugar or substitute with honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup avocado oil or melted coconut oil
1/4 cup Greek yogurt non-fat or low-fat
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas from about 2 medium bananas
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep

Get your oven ready and line the baking pan. Melt butter with brown sugar to create a smooth caramel sauce, then pour it into the pan.

Arrange

Place banana slices over the caramel in the pan, setting the stage for the upside-down effect.

Mix

Combine wet ingredients in a bowl, then gently mix in the dry ingredients to create a tender cake batter.

Bake

Pour the batter over the bananas and let it bake until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool & Invert

Let the cake cool completely before flipping it to reveal the caramelized banana topping.

Serve

Enjoy a slice of this banana bread cake, where every bite is infused with the natural sweetness and warmth of caramelized bananas.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container on the counter or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (after that, it begins to dry out). Wrapped tightly to prevent freezer burn, Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake can last in the freezer up to 3 months (thaw on the counter before serving).

3 hours to cool?

Believe me, I know how hard it is to wait the entire 3 hours to eat this cake but it is so worth it…yes, of course, it will be cool much sooner than that but this 3 hour window ensures that the caramel-sliced banana layer will set perfectly.

Be careful about caramel

When the butter melts and you add the brown sugar, you have to whisk constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and then let it bubble for 30 seconds; the constant whisking is mandatory to achieve the caramel’s smoothness but it will be very hot and the bubbling can sputter, so be careful!

Are there other flavors to add?

Ground cinnamon (about a teaspoon) is a delicious addition to this cake batter, but you can also add a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for a more spice cake flavor. And while we love the deep vanilla flavor in this recipe, almond extract will add a lovely nutty taste.

Is it a cake or a bread?

Well…it’s kind of like both! It has the moistness of a banana cake and the dense texture of a banana bread. And since you can eat it as a dessert, for breakfast, or as a snack, it is a banana bread cake and refuses to be classified as one or the other!

Serving Suggestions

This Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake can be served with ice cream or whipped cream or just a dollop of Greek yogurt on top (though it’s pretty amazing just by itself). If you want to elevate it a bit, sprinkle a little Kosher salt on the caramel before adding the sliced bananas and you’ll get…salted caramel! Yum! For more sweet & salty deliciousness, try topping this cake with some Popcorn or even crushed pretzels. For adults-only, serve squares of Upside-Down Banana Bread Cake with Espresso Martinis or Frozen Mudslide Drink (though kids will love it with a glass of cold milk!)