looking for a last minute dessert for mother's day weekend? look no further because this perfectly moist (sorry i said it..) caramelized banana upside down cake is made with ingredients you (probably) already have kicking around in the pantry. a simple one bowl batter that features oil as the base, which means you don't even need to cream the sugar & butter.
i used my go to bob's red mill organic all purpose unbleached flour to create this cake, as it is important to always use a freshly milled high quality wheat flour with no potassium bromate added. we are having a very low key mother's day celebration this weekend, but a bottle of sparkling rosé & a slice of this cake will make for something special.
happy mother's day! xo
p.s. a few tips when baking this cake! make sure the sugar is fully incorporated into the butter for a successful caramel sauce & ensure the pan is completely covered with a layer of sliced banana before the batter is added. this will avoid too much batter from leaking through to the caramel sauce!
ingredients
for the caramelized banana
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 pinch fine salt
- 3 to 4 ripe bananas, sliced lengthwise
for the cake
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups bob's red mill organic all-purpose unbleached white flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- freshly whipped cream, for serving
directions
for the caramelized banana
- to a small sauce pot over medium heat add the butter, brown sugar & salt. stir until the sugar is completely dissolved into the butter.
- transfer the caramel sauce to a lightly greased 8-inch round cake pan.
- line with bananas slice side down, leaving as few gaps as possible. set aside while you prepare the batter.
for the cake
- preheat oven to 350(f) degrees. in a large mixing bowl whisk together the oil, brown sugar, eggs & vanilla until well combined.
- whisk in the milk followed by the flour, baking powder & salt. stir until the batter just comes together, do not over mix.
- pour batter over the prepared baking pan & bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- let cool for 15 minutes before inverting the cake onto a cake plate. enjoy warm with whipped cream or serve at room temperature!
