If you’re a banana fan (and maybe even if you’re not) this cake is for you. I think I may have just found my new go-to dessert (my old go-to dessert was a coconut cake).
Think Pineapple Upside Down cake but updated and with an amazing caramel walnut topping and a banana cake base. The caramel topping is addictive but gooey. When I was cleaning the pan later that evening I discovered that the majority of the caramel seeped through the pan and onto the foil that I’d lined the outside with (which is why my picture doesn’t look like the one on Epicurious). Some people may have thrown it out but not I. I stood over my sink prying the leftover caramel off the foil and into my mouth. So good. It was the right balance of brown sugar and butter. Throw some walnuts in there and you have perfection.
The banana cake itself was also really good. The recipe calls for 1 tbsp of rum and that really makes a difference. I tend to like my desserts with a somewhat boozy taste to them and the rum packed the perfect punch. I also liked that the cake was lighter than a traditional banana bread. This is likely due to the use of cake flour instead of AP.
My one issue is that the cake is a bit too sweet. For the cake part I used just a bit more than 3/4 cups of sugar instead of the full cup that the recipe called ofr. I could have even toned it down a bit more and not have suffered greatly. But I served the cake with ice cream and that helped cut the sweetness. My other note of caution is in choosing a cake pan. I used a (not so high quality) springform pan. I lined the outside of the pan with 2 layers of foil. While the caramel didn’t ooze out and make a mess in the oven it did ooze out all over the the foil so that I didn’t get an even layer of caramel across the top of my cake. Next time I would use a regular layer cake pan so that everything stays in the pan… you don’t want to lose the precious caramel!
This is a must try.
CARAMEL-WALNUT UPSIDEDOWN BANANA CAKE
Topping:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
3/4 cup walnut halves or pieces
Cake:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
For 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 syrup 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread topping in prepared pan. Let topping cool completely.
For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift first 4 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 in 2 additions 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. 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.
Bon Appétit
March 2008
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