While caramelized banana is the star of the tropical banana upside-down cake, a little coconut, orange rind, almond meal and lots of vanilla add a taste of the tropics to this delicious cake. There’s nothing like adding a little fruit to the bottom of your cake pan and then turning the whole thing upside down.
Upside-down cakes are so festive and the perfect dessert for a celebration.
This recipe makes about 8 servings.
Tips
- I made this cake in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, you can use a springform pan. Line it with parchment paper, cook the topping and spread it over the bottom of the cake pan, then continue with the recipe.
- You can substitute the almond meal with an equal amount of flour.
- Here’s what the bananas look like when you are slicing them lengthwise. Keeping them flat on the cutting board helps prevent them from breaking as you cut them.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 4 large bananas, sliced lengthwise (see photo)
- 1 teaspoon table salt, divided into 1/4 and 3/4 teaspoons
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Make the caramel topping first. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and salt and cook it until blended. Even if it is still grainy, don’t worry about that. It will melt as the cake bakes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and smooth the topping evenly over the bottom of the pan. Layer the bananas over the topping, using the larger slices in the center of the pan and smaller slices on the outside.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt and almond meal in a medium mixing bowl, stir it together and set it aside.
Add the oil, sugar and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk it until combined. Whisk in the egg and extra yolk until smooth. Add the buttermilk and whisk again.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients, and using a rubber spatula, gently fold everything together. Fold in the orange zest and coconut.
Spoon the batter over the bananas and gently smooth the top.
Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Halfway through baking, rotate the pan in the oven to cook the cake evenly.
Immediately run a small knife around the edge of the pan. Let the cake sit for 5 minutes, then carefully turn the cake over onto a serving platter. If any of the caramel or banana stick to the bottom of the pan, scrape them off and place them back onto the cake.
Cool the cake for at least 20 minutes to let the topping set.
Serve the cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
You can store leftover cake, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for a few days.
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