Banana Upside Down Cake with Caramel Glaze

Banana Upside Down Cake

Banana Upside Down Cake is one of those desserts that feels impressive and completely doable at the same time. It is a soft, moist banana cake baked over a layer of sliced bananas and brown sugar, so when you turn it out of the pan, those caramelized bananas become the top.

Mashed bananas go into the batter too, and that is what makes every slice so rich and full of banana flavor. I think of it as banana bread that decided to dress up for company.

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You can serve it plain, scatter toasted pecans over the top, or add a drizzle of caramel sauce. A spoonful of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns it into a real celebration dessert. It is also a lovely way to use ripe bananas when you want something different from classic banana bread.

The first time I made it, I flipped the pan a little too eagerly and lost a few banana slices to the counter. The second time I slowed down, and the caramel layer came out glossy and intact. Now it is a regular in my fall and winter baking rotation.

What Is Banana Upside Down Cake?

Banana upside down cake is a homemade banana cake baked with sliced bananas and a brown sugar topping placed on the bottom of the pan. Once it comes out of the oven and rests a little, the cake is flipped so the caramelized banana layer becomes the top.

This version also includes mashed bananas in the batter, which makes it extra moist and flavorful. That double banana approach is why it tastes so deep and sweet without needing much else.

It is not a fussy cake either. You mix the batter, arrange the bananas, bake, and flip. The caramel does the showy part for you.

If you have baked banana bread before, you already know the flavor. The difference here is the caramelized banana layer on top, which adds a soft, sticky sweetness that banana bread simply does not have.

I have served this cake to people who swear they do not like banana desserts, and the plate comes back empty every time.

Banana Upside Down Cake

This Banana Upside Down Cake gets its rich flavor from mashed bananas in the batter and a layer of banana slices sitting in caramel sauce on top. The crumb is dense yet very moist, somewhere between bread and cake, and it slices beautifully.

The recipe begins by creaming butter and sugar, the way most cakes do, which gives the batter a light, airy start.

It then combines all purpose flour and whole wheat flour for a richer flavor and a denser texture that pairs so well with caramel and banana.

Plain Greek yogurt provides moisture, and sour cream can be used instead if that is what you have on hand.

Prep takes about 25 minutes and the cake bakes for about 60 minutes, so plan on roughly 1 hour 25 minutes from start to finish.

One pan note before you start: use an 8 x 8 x 2 inch square cake pan or a 9 x 2 inch round cake pan. The pan needs to hold 8 cups of batter. An 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch square pan holds only 6 cups, and this cake will overflow it.

I keep the wet and dry mixtures separate until the last moment, then fold them together just until the flour disappears. Overmixing makes a tougher cake, and this batter is at its best when you stop early.

Serving it slightly warm is my preference, though it slices more neatly once it has cooled. A warm slice with cold cream is the combination I keep coming back to.

Breakfast Cake

Because this cake brings together banana and whole wheat flour, I am happy to call it breakfast food. A thick slice with hot coffee on a slow Saturday morning is one of my favorite small pleasures.

The caramel is the part everyone remembers. A sticky butter and brown sugar topping caramelizes as the cake bakes, exactly the way upside down cakes are supposed to behave.

Once you turn the cake out onto a plate, you finish it with a caramel glaze made from butter, heavy cream, and brown sugar.

That glaze firms up as it cools, so I save some, reheat it, and drizzle it over each slice just before serving.

Here is how the whole thing comes together.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch square cake pan or a 9 x 2 inch round cake pan. The pan must hold 8 cups of batter.
2. Spread 2/3 cup brown sugar over the bottom of the pan and scatter the pieces of butter (4 1/2 tablespoons) on top. Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, until the butter has melted. Remove it, stir the butter and sugar together, and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom. Arrange the sliced bananas to cover the bottom, then set the pan aside.
3. For the batter, stir the dry ingredients together in a bowl: all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream 1/3 cup butter with 3/4 cup sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add the Greek yogurt and the mashed bananas and mix to combine.
5. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix just to combine. Pour the batter over the bananas, smooth the top, and bake. Bake 30 minutes at 350 F, then reduce the heat to 325 F and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out completely clean.
6. Let the cake cool in the pan completely, or at least until the bottom is barely warm, before inverting it onto a plate. Use a knife to loosen the edges from the pan, place a plate upside down on top of the pan, then invert the cake.
7. For the caramel glaze, combine the butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, remove from the heat, and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour two thirds of the glaze over the banana layer and reserve the rest for serving.

The glaze thickens and turns pale as it cools. When you are ready to serve, reheat the reserved glaze and drizzle it over each slice.

Sprinkle toasted chopped pecans on top if you like, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of whipped cream makes it extra special. If you are eating this for breakfast, I would not go overboard on the toppings.

On weekday mornings I warm a slice for about twenty seconds and eat it with Greek yogurt, which feels slightly virtuous even though I am technically eating cake. On weekends the glaze comes out, the pecans get toasted, and nobody pretends it is breakfast anymore.

Ripe bananas are the whole point of this cake. If you happen to love the sweet, sticky, buttery brown sugar topping even more than the bananas, a Pineapple Upside Down Cake does a similar trick with a triple dose of that topping across three layers, each one crowned with caramelized fruit.

Leftovers keep well. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator, then let slices come to room temperature or warm them slightly before serving. Cold cake is fine, but warm cake with glossy caramel is the version people remember.

Tips for the Best Banana Upside Down Cake

After baking this cake more times than I can count, I have learned that a few small habits make a big difference.

• For the batter, use ripe bananas with brown spots. They bring extra sweetness and a stronger banana flavor.
• For the topping, use bananas that are ripe but still firm. Very soft bananas turn mushy, so pick sweet ones that are still easy to slice.
• Do not wait too long to flip the cake. Aim for a short rest, about 10 to 15 minutes, so the pan is cool enough to handle while the brown sugar topping is still soft. If the cake sits much longer, that topping firms up and clings to the pan.
• Run a knife around the edges before you invert. This helps the cake release cleanly instead of tearing at the sides.
• Check the pan size before you start. The batter needs an 8 cup pan. A shallow 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch pan holds only 6 cups and the cake will overflow.
• Serve it with toasted pecans, extra caramel sauce, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

My own little habit: I keep the reserved caramel glaze in a small jar and warm it for a few seconds right before serving. It turns an already good cake into the kind of dessert people ask you to bring again.

If you only remember one thing from this page, remember the flip. Timing is the difference between a beautiful caramel top and a stubborn pan.

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Banana Upside Down Cake

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Banana Upside Down Cake Banana Upside Down Cake is one of those desserts that feels impressive and completely doable at the same time. It is a soft, moist banana cake baked over a layer of sliced bananas and brown sugar, so when you turn it out of the pan, those caramelized bananas become the top.

• Total Time: 85 min

Ingredients

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Topping
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
4.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 bananas, sliced into 1/4–1/3 inch rounds

Cake Batter
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt, or sour cream
2 large eggs
2 overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Caramel Glaze
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

Main
1-Preheat the oven to 350 F: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease 8 x 8 x 2 inch square cake pan or 9 x 2 inch round cake pan. The pan must be 8 cups volume (cake will overflow 8 x 8 x 1 1/2 inch square pan, it has only 6 cup volume)
2-Spread 2/3 cup brown sugar on the: Spread 2/3 cup brown sugar on the bottom of the pan and scattered pieces of butter (4.5 Tbsp). Place the pan in the oven for 5-7 minutes (until butter has melted). Remove from the oven and stir butter and sugar and spread evenly on the bottom. Arrange sliced bananas to cover the bottom. Set Aside.
3-To make the batter in a bowl: To make the batter in a bowl stir together dry ingredients ( flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt), set aside.
4-In a large bowl cream 1/3 cup: In a large bowl cream 1/3 cup butter and ¾ cup sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add Greek yogurt and mashed bananas and mix to combine.
5-Turn your mixer on low and add: Turn your mixer on low and add dry ingredients mixture. Mix just to combine. Pour the batter over bananas, smooth the top and bake. Bake 30 minutes at 350 F, then reduce the heat to 325 F and bake for additional 25-35 minutes until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out completely clean.
6-Let it cool in the pan completely,: Let it cool in the pan completely, or at least until the bottom is barely warm before inverting on the plate. Use a knife to loosen the edges from the pan, place a plate upside-down on top of the pan, then invert cake.
7-To make caramel glaze: To make caramel glaze: In a saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, heavy cream and salt and bring to boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and let it sit for 1-2 minutes. Pour 2/3 of the glaze over the banana layer. Reserve leftovers of the caramel glaze for serving.
8-The glaze thickens as it cools and: The glaze thickens as it cools and pale in colours!!!
9-When serving reheat the leftovers of the: When serving reheat the leftovers of the glaze and drizzle on each slice. Sprinkle with toasted chopped pecans if desired. You can also top each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

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• Prep Time: 25 min
• Cook Time: 60 min
• Method: bake