Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake

Name: Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 56 min
Total time: 1 h 26 min
Yield: 6-8 serving(s)
Ingredients: nonstick vegetable cooking spray; 1/2 cup unsalted butter; 1 cup golden brown sugar (packed); 3 tablespoons dark corn syrup (Karo); 3/4 cup walnut halves or 3/4 cup walnut pieces; 1 3/4 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup golden brown sugar (packed); 2 large eggs; 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 to 3 large); 3 tablespoons sour cream; 1 tablespoon dark rum; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Submitted by Leslie in Texas

"This is a new take on the standard pineapple upside-down cake. Brown sugar caramel and walnuts top a super moist banana cake. From the March 2008 issue on Bon Appetit."

Download

Ready In:: 1hr 26mins
Ingredients:: 18
Serves:: 6-8

ingredients

For Topping
nonstick vegetable cooking spray
¹⁄₂ cup unsalted butter
1 cup golden brown sugar (packed)
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup (Karo)
³⁄₄ cup walnut halves or 3/4 cup walnut pieces
For Cake
1 ³⁄₄ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
³⁄₄ teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
¹⁄₂ cup golden brown sugar (packed)
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 to 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

directions

Topping.
Spray 8 inch round cake pan with 2 inch high sides with nonstick spray.
Bring butter,sugar and corn syrup to boil in medium saucepan, stirring constantly until butter melts:boil for 1 minute.
Stir in nuts;spread topping in prepared pan and let cool completely.
Cake.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift first four ingredients into medium bowl.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended.
Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed bananas,sour cream,rum and vanilla.
Beat in dry ingredients just until combined.
Spoon batter into pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
Cool 15 minutes.
Cut around cake and place platter over pan. Holding pan and platter together, turn over.
Let stand 5 minutes then gently lift off pan.
Cool at least 15 minutes for topping to set.
Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Questions & Replies

Got a question? Share it with the community!

Reviews

This cake is absolutely FABULOUS. Moist & sinfully delicious! However, I would recommend NOT using the topping portion of the recipe. After reading the review here & on the Bon Appetit website, it seems that it's too conducive to very messy baking. I just did 1/2 c butter & 1/2 c brown sugar in a saucepan, poured it into a 9 in springform pan, sprinkled nuts & the bananas over the sauce, and then layered the cake batter & baked it. It turned out beautifully. A totally impressive and satisfying dessert. Thanks so much for sharing!

hannahactually
Wonderful recipe! The caramel topping really adds a new, sophisticated dimension to banana cake! Next time, I will use a 9-inch springform pan. The batter bubbled over the sides of the cake pan while it was baking and burned in the bottom of the oven. :( The flavor, and the fact that everyone in the (picky!) household loved it, made up for the technical difficulties. :)

Rosie_C