Equipment
Ingredients
Caramel and Banana Topping
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 100 g light brown sugar
- 3 bananas, sliced lengthwise or into thick rounds
- 1 g sea salt
Dry Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- 6 g baking powder
- 3 g baking soda
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 4 g ground ginger
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 mashed banana, very ripe and thoroughly mashed
- 120 ml buttermilk, room temperature
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 437 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 65 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 350 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 91 mg
- Potassium
- 400 mg
- Calcium
- 100 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 29 mg
- Phosphorus
- 136 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 165 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.3 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.06 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.8 mg
- Folate
- 25 mcg
- Water
- 72 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 23cm round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a saucepan, melt 50g of butter and 100g of light brown sugar over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes until bubbling and cohesive, stir in the sea salt, then pour the caramel evenly into the prepared cake pan.
Arrange the sliced bananas in a tightly packed, slightly overlapping pattern over the warm caramel in the pan.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and fine sea salt until fully incorporated.
In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the softened 115g of butter and 150g of light brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract and the mashed banana.
Using a rubber spatula, alternately fold the dry ingredients and the buttermilk into the wet mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until no streaks of flour remain.
Gently dollop and spread the cake batter over the arranged bananas in the pan, taking care not to shift the fruit beneath.
Bake at 175°C (350°F) for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake rest in the pan for exactly 10 minutes to allow the caramel to set slightly without hardening.
Place a serving plate upside down over the pan. Using oven mitts, firmly grasp the plate and pan together and quickly invert them. Wait a few seconds for the caramel to drop, then lift the pan away.
Chef's Notes
- For the topping, select bananas that are yellow with a few brown spots. They should be firm enough to hold their shape during baking. Reserve your heavily spotted, overripe bananas strictly for mashing into the batter.
- Do not skip lining the pan with parchment paper. The paper is an insurance policy against the caramel fusing to the metal pan.
- When folding in the dry ingredients and buttermilk, use a gentle hand. Overmixing at this stage will develop the gluten, leading to a tough cake rather than a tender crumb.
- Serve slices slightly warm. A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream perfectly balances the sweetness of the caramel.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The caramel may soften the cake slightly over time.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Microwave a single slice for 15 seconds to soften the caramel and restore a fresh-baked texture.
Troubleshooting
Cake sticks to the pan and rips when inverted
Cause: The cake cooled for too long in the pan, causing the caramel to harden and act like glue
Fix: Place the bottom of the pan over low heat on the stove for 30 seconds to remelt the caramel, then attempt to invert again. If bananas stick, gently peel them from the pan and patch them back onto the cake.
Prevention: Set a timer to invert the cake exactly 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven
Batter looks curdled after adding buttermilk
Cause: Ingredients were at different temperatures, breaking the emulsion
Fix: Continue with the recipe. Once the dry ingredients are folded in, the batter will bind together and bake properly.
Prevention: Ensure butter, eggs, and buttermilk are all at room temperature before starting
Cultural Context
Upside-down cakes originated as skillet cakes baked over open fires or in cast iron pans, a pragmatic approach to baking before temperature-controlled ovens were common. While the mid-century popularization of the pineapple upside-down cake cemented the technique in North American baking history, adapting the method to utilize bananas and warm spices draws heavily from comforting Southern and Caribbean flavor profiles.
