Now I love banana bread as much as the next person, but sometimes you want to make something a little different when you are looking to use up hastily ripening bananas in the fruit bowl. This Caramelised Upside Down Banana Cake is sure to become your new go-to. Lots of people think upside down cakes are complicated because the decoration looks so impressive, but I promise you this is such an easy cake recipe and requires just a few moments of concentration on the hob before the oven does all the hard work.
It is important to leave it to stand for a few minutes before turning it out to allow it to firm up a bit. Then simply turn out, cut it into slices and enjoy the incredible combination of gooey, sweet caramel and moist banana sponge. I heartily recommend serving warm with a scoop of just-melting vanilla ice cream. Or a scoop of homemade Honeycomb Ice Cream would take this to the next level! If you are a fan of banoffee, you are going to love this…
Why you'll love this Caramelised Banana Upside Down Cake:
- It's something to make that is a little different when you are looking to use up hastily ripening bananas in the fruit bowl.
- It's much simpler than it looks to make and looks so impressive when you're done.
- The caramelised banana layer on top keeps the banana sponge so moist.
You will need the following ingredients:
Butter - opt for unsalted so you can control the salt level.
Soft light brown sugar - this adds a delicious molasses flavour to the caramelised banana topping.
Bananas - you want ripe ones for the topping and very ripe ones for the cake batter.
Lemon juice - this adds a little zestiness that balances out the sweetness of the caramel and bananas.
Natural yoghurt - this adds moisture to the cake layer as well as a slight tangy flavour to balance out the sweetness of the caramel and bananas. You could swap for sour cream or Greek yoghurt.
Vanilla extract - always choose vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or vanilla pods (avoid vanilla essence which will give you a synthetic flavour).
Caster sugar - I like to use caster sugar in the cake batter, but you could use granulated sugar if that is what you have. You could also use soft light brown sugar for a deeper caramelised flavour and even more moist texture.
Eggs - use free-range eggs stamped with the British Lion mark if you can.
Self-raising flour - this helps give the cake a light and airy texture.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements
Substitutions and Variations
Adding spices: If you like subtle spiced flavours, you could add a pinch of ground cinnamon or ginger to the cake batter.
Chocolate: Stir in a handful of dark chocolate chips or good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into chunks - these will transform into gooey puddles of molten chocolate when served warm…
Self-raising flour: If you can't get hold of self-raising, mix plain (all purpose) flour with 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and a pinch of salt, to replace it.
Caster sugar: You could swap the caster sugar in the cake batter for soft light brown sugar. It'll make the sponge darker and give it a bit more of a caramelised flavour.
Here's How To Make Moist Upside Down Banana Cake
The full recipe is down below for more detailed instructions but these few pictures make up a step-by-step guide to help when making this delicious cake.
ONE: melt the butter in a 20 cm (8-inch) non-stick oven-proof deep frying pan. Add the sugar.
TWO: Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the caramel begins to bubble. Stir if needed.
THREE: Slice the bananas lengthways and arrange snuggly in a pretty layer cut side down in the pan (this is what you will see when you turn the cake out). Squeeze over a little lemon juice and remove from the heat.
FOUR: In a large mixing bowl, mix together the mashed banana, yoghurt and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time. Fold in a few tablespoons of the flour, followed by the banana-yoghurt mixture. Repeat until all of both mixtures have been added and fully combined.
FIVE: Carefully spoon the mixture over the banana caramel layer and spread in an even layer. Place in the oven and cook for about 40-50 minutes.
SIX: After 45 mins or so, or until golden brown, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, remove from the oven. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a flat plate.
Cooking Tips
Lemon juice: It might seem random but don't skip it. It helps minimise how brown the bananas turn in the oven so they stay nice and yellow.
Baking a cake in a frying pan: Using a frying pan means the bananas are nestled in the caramel from step 1 which makes the whole thing easier as often they soften in the caramel. Once soft, it can be hard to transfer everything over to a cake tin. Make sure you use one which is oven-proof but if you don't have one, you could transfer the caramel and the bananas to a greased and lined cake tin of the same size, if you prefer, but go slowly to avoid any breakage (if it does break, it'll still be delicious!)
Letting the cake stand when out of the oven: This allows it to firm up and keep its shape. If you turn it out straight away, it will fall apart on the plate and the caramel will flow out everywhere. It will still be a delicious Upside Down Banana Cake, just not quite the look we’re going for!
Frequently Asked Questions
Put simply, it is a cake that is baked ‘upside down’ in one tin (or in this case, one frying pan) with the decoration at the bottom. Once baked, it is turned out ‘upside down’ to reveal the top. Although I have used bananas in this recipe, arguably the most famous version is a pineapple upside down cake (you can use lots of different fruits). It is a similar principle to making a tarte tatin, except a tarte tatin features pastry instead of cake batter and can be sweet or savoury.
I love the combination of warm puddings with cold ice cream or cream. Vanilla ice cream compliments the banana and caramel flavours really well. You could also go full-on comfort vibes and serve with custard if you prefer. If you want to add a bit of texture, a sprinkling of chopped nuts (walnuts or hazelnuts) would also work well.
Not at all. I think it is best served warm but that is down to personal preference. You can serve it at room temperature or cold if you prefer.
More recipes you might like
I LOVE to use bananas in baking, they make sure the bake stays super moist and gives great texture. Try these Banana Bread Bars with a whipped honey cream icing, they are really so good and not your average banana bread. This is a more classic banana bread - Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread - but it's far from average. The brown butter makes it so delicious. I love these Fluffy Banana Pancakes - they happen to be vegan but you'd never know it. So tasty. Banana Tiramisu is one of my favourite recipes I've written lately and I find banana and coffee such a great combination. Finally, you should have a look at my Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins. So simple and so cute in their little muffin liners, they'll become a go-to recipe of yours.
Made this recipe and loved it?
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PrintCaramelised Banana Upside Down Cake
A surprisingly simple cake to make given that it looks fairly impressive. This caramelised upside down banana cake is the perfect cake for a lazy weekend or special afternoon tea.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: British
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the banana base:
- 50g butter
- 45g soft light brown sugar
- 3 ripe bananas
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
For the cake topping:
- 1 ripe banana, mashed
- 2 tbsp of natural yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 80g of butter, softened
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 175g self-raising flour
To serve: (optional)
- Vanilla ice cream
- Double cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C Fan.
- For the banana base: melt the butter in a 20 cm (8-inch) non-stick oven-proof deep frying pan. Add the sugar and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
- Slice the bananas lengthways and arrange snuggly in a pretty layer cut side down in the pan (this is what you will see when you turn the cake out). Squeeze over a little lemon juice and remove from the heat.
- For the cake topping: in a large mixing bowl, mix together the mashed banana, yoghurt and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric beater until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold in a few tablespoons of the flour, followed by the banana-yoghurt mixture. Repeat until all of both mixtures have been added and fully combined.
- Carefully spoon the mixture over the banana caramel layer and spread in an even layer. Place in the oven and cook for about 40-50 minutes - or until golden brown, firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a flat plate.
- Cut into slices and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, if wished.
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