This banana cake is full of flavor and topped with a caramelized brown sugar + banana layer that is to die for!
This morning I woke up with a hankering for something made with bananas. I always have banana muffins on hand, but i wasn’t in the mood for those. So, I started brainstorming ideas and came up with this! The pineapple upside down cake’s (delicious) step sister. This cake is just glorious. If you are a fan of bananas, you will absolutely LOVE it. The brown sugar and butter on top caramelize beautifully, creating a gooey coating that is to die for! Not to mention, while baking, it oozes up the sides and you can see the scrumptious caramel bubbling, try to contain your excitement. The bananas also caramelize making them deliciously sweet. If I had to choose my top favorite desserts, this one would be on the list. The cake has is very moist with a punch of banana flavor, but not overwhelming at all.
I think the best thing about this cake is that if you have bananas, you most likely have everything else in your pantry! It has such simple ingredients but creates such a FANTASTIC result. The cake looks so elegant, yet it only took about 10 minutes to throw together. Nobody will believe that you didn’t spend all day on it.
Is there anything better than caramelized bananas covered in caramelized brown sugar + cake? I think not. I mean, I’m not even the biggest banana eater and I still enjoy this cake so much!
While this cake is the best served warm from the oven, just like banana bread it is just as amazing the next day, too! So, it is definitely okay to make this cake a day in advance without sacrificing taste because it only gets better! It’s also delicious warm with some vanilla ice cream on top!
Banana lovers (or not).. you need this cake in your life. Now.
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" round baking pan very well, set aside.
Combine melted butter and brown sugar. Press mixture into bottom of the pan. Arrange banana rounds on top of brown sugar mixture. (This will ultimately be the top of your cake.)
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk very well for one minute. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until completely combined and no lumps remain. Don't over mix. Pour cake mixture into prepared pan on top of bananas. It will fill almost to the top of the pan. RECIPE EDITED TO ADD: Based on reader's reviews, it seems some have had the batter spill over while baking, and some have had great success. To prevent this, simply place the cake pan on a baking sheet when it goes into the oven to catch anything that spills over.
Bake for 42-47 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let cake cool for 5 minutes in pan then turn out on a large plate or platter. (If you wait too long, the caramelized brown sugar will stick to the pan!)
Cake is best served warm out of the oven but will stay moist and fresh for up to 5 days in an airtight container. This cake is able to be made the night before the day needed for consumption.
https://www.sprinklesomesugar.com/banana-upside-down-cake/ 
Have you made this recipe? I’d love to know how it came out for you! Please leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #sprinklesomesugar so I can see it!
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I am making this today for Chic Night at our church tomorrow…. I will be making it gluten free as well because my tummy and some other tummies need that. Super excited!! I LOVE the pineapple version and we delighted when I found this. Yesterday I made some butterscotch sauce to go with it. We should all be in a sufficient sugar/comfort food coma heaven after this!! haha
Ha ha, I’m sure you all will LOVE it! It’s even better the next day. A butterscotch sauce sounds awesome to go with this!! Enjoy!
How do you store this for the next day. I want to make this a day before thanksgiving. Should i store it in the fridge?
Just store it covered at room temp, Ira even better the next day. Enjoy! And have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Elysa!
Thank you so much it turned out great!! I wish I knew how to upload a picture.
How do you store this? I want to make this a day before thanksgiving. Can i store in the the fridge?
How do u make it gluten free?
How did it come out
Made this today, I was looking for something to serve to company with basic ingredients so I could make it without a trip to the store. I also wanted a cake that didn’t need frosting as I was pressed for time. Turned out beautifully, and so delicious!! Only change I made was to add a little cinnamon. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
So happy you enjoyed it! Adding cinnamon sounds delicious, I’ll have to try that next time!
I dont usually write reviews but i just made this and it is absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this one of my staple cakes!
I also added a little cinnamon my cake is in the oven, for I have a bigger old cake pan it’s between 9 & 10 inches so it was perfect hope it turns out as good as it looks! We’ll see in about another 20 to 25 minutes.
Wowzers!! Great recipe and super easy to make! Taste amazing! Followed the recipe to the T except for using 3 ripped bananas, adding 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and about 1/4 cup chopped walnuts! Fabulous! Thanks for sharing!!
Yummy! Thanks for the ideas, I’m so glad you loved it Sandra!!
What a great perfect little easy recipe. And it’s gorgeous. Cut my bananas on diagonal. Added a little nutmeg and cinnamon. Will make this again…and again.
Found this and had to try it – the only change I made was swapping the 1 1/2c flour for 2 cups gluten free flour (Betty Crocker’s, if it matters).
OMG. It’s literally the best cake I’ve ever made.
I’ve pinned it to my permanent GF recipe list and I can’t wait to bring this to Saturday’s potluck!
Yay, thank you! I’m happy you love this cake, it’s one of my favorites! That’s good to know that it comes out great with gluten free flour too! I hope everyone at the potluck enjoys it!
I made this and have not tried it yet but am very upset because my 9 inch pie pan overflowed! I used a Wilton 9 inch pie pan and the brown sugar/butter portioned bubbled out from under the cake as it baked and it is now a crisp burnt mess in my oven. Your recipe said it would look like too much batter but don’t worry, so I didn’t…but I should have. Just a warning to others!
I’m sorry about the results of your cake, Caroline, but most likely the reason this happened is because you used a pie plate. I’m assuming your pan has slanted sides, correct? That is probably why your cake spilled over because your pan is not deep enough to hold all of the batter which is why I state in the recipe to use a round cake pan, not a pie plate. I have many family members and readers who have made this cake (including myself, over and over again) with no issues so it must have been the pan you used. I hope it still tasted good, though! Was it okay when you cut into it?
I cook all my upside down cakes in a cast iron skillet and they turn out great! Thank you for this recipe.😁
That’s a great idea. You’re very welcome!
I wonder if the Wilton 9 inch pans are a tad smaller in volume. I just made this using the same pan and I, too, have burnt caramel all over the bottom of my oven! No, I didn’t use a pie pan as indicated. I used a Wilton 9 inch layer cake pan. The batter filled the pan completely to the top and I knew I should of taken some out but the recipe stated it would be fine. It wasn’t. I’m not a novice baker, I followed the directions to a T and now I have my work cut out tomorrow getting burnt caramel out of my oven. Very sad!
I’m so sorry this happened! The recipe does not state to use a pie pan, you were correct in using a 9″ round cake pan. I’m not sure why this happens to some readers and not others so I’m very sorry about that! I hope you at least enjoyed the cake. Next time, try placing a baking sheet under the baking pan to prevent this, I have included that in the recipe based on other readers’ reviews like yours.
Try using a 9 inch cake pan instead. More depth up the sides rather than a pie plate.
Hi, I made the banana cake for a open house party at work. I added cinammon and nutmeg to it . Every one loved it even the residents was talking about the next day. Thanks
That’s so great to hear! You’re very welcome!
Rarely am I ever able to reproduce a recipe that looks as good (maybe better ) as the original. Thank you for the fabulous recipe. I made it exactly as written and it was perfect. I might fool around with it a bit next time, perhaps an addition of blueberries? This one is a keeper for sure and my house smells incredible!
My favorite part about making this cake is the moment you flip it over and it comes out perfect every time! That’s one of the reasons I love this cake so much I’m glad you loved it just as much as we do, Jan! Blueberries sound yummy!
What if I don’t have any buttermilk? Can I sub with anything else? HELP this looks so good and I want to make it for Sunday after church! Thanks
Regular milk is fine. Or you can make your own buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons of white vinegar OR lemon juice to 1/2 cup of milk. I suggest using whole milk because of it’s higher fat content. Hope this helps and I hope I got back to you in time, Sasha!
Hello! I make mini pineapple upside down cakes using a cupcake pan, do you think this would work ok in there?
When I make the minis the only thing I usually adjust is cook time.
Any suggestions appreciated!
Sure! I’d only fill them about 1/2-2/3 of the way up. I would suggest maybe making one first to test where it needs to be. Let me know if you wind up making them!! Sounds awesome
I have made this cake once before and it is soooo good! I am wondering if I could double it and bake it in a 9×13 pan??
Hmm, I’m unsure. It might be a little difficult to flip it but if you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it comes out!
Hey! I wanted to make mini versions of this (I use a heart shaped cupcake tin) and I was wondering if you think that would work ok and how I should adjust cooking time/temp?
Thanks!
This cake baked perfectly in a 10″ round cake pan. I used greased parchment on the bottom which helped turn out the cake. I also added 1 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp cloves to the batter because I cannot imagine banana without those spices.
Awesome!! Love the added spices.
I had some bananas at home that were going bad and didn’t want them to go to waste. As I was doing research on recipes, I came across this one and gave it a try. All I can say is… OMG! I followed the exact recipe with the exception of the buttermilk. I didn’t have any so I used whole milk instead. My family absolutely loved it! Thank you
This is one of the yummiest cakes I have ever eaten!
Thanks Wendy!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Jessica, I baked this cake yesterday and it is beyond fabulous! It turned out perfectly. I only have one question. In the print recipe, it says one tablespoon of vanilla. I’ve never used that much for a cake before, so I changed to one teaspoon. Just wanted to check in with you about it.
Yep, that’s correct! But I’m sure lessening it to one teaspoon wouldn’t make a huge difference. So happy you enjoyed the cake!!
I made this cake twice already and I have to say it is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. Yes, it did bubble over both times, but I placed some foil underneath the pan so clean-up was a snap.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!
Awesome! I’m not sure why that happens to some and not others.. Glad you remedied it though.
HUGE success! The cake was moist, but not gummy like bread pudding, and not on the dry side like banana bread, either. Nice and fluffy with a delectable banana flavor. My husband and my son (and I) loved it. I used a 10″ pan to prevent dripping and it worked wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Next time, cherries alongside the bananas.
Awesome! Cherries sound like a relish addition!
I am going to bake this tomorrow to take to my 83 yro banana loving dad. Just wanted to inquire will tbe unmoulding be easy?Thanks
Sorry for the late response! Yes, that is the best part! As long as you grease the pan very well before, you will have no issues. I hope your dad loved the cake if you made it already!
OMG this cake is amazing!!!! It turned out perfect my Mum and Dad said the best banana cake they have ever tasted. Winner will be making again. Thanks for sharing your recipe x
Thanks so much, Rebecca! So glad everyone enjoyed it.
Had some overripe bananas.Stumbled upon ur recipe. Made this today. It was super easy. Used only half cup brown sugar for the caramel base. It turned out to be so soft, moist and delicious. Thanks a lot !!!
This was a super easy cake to make as well delicious. My husband wouldn’t stop eating, but I did substitute a few ingredients due to the fact I did not have at home, buttermilk I used 1 cup of milk with tblspoon of lemon juice, as well I had no baking soda so I added 1 tblspoon of baking powder…. wonderful cake
I made this tonight after looking for an alternate banana upside down cake to another one I found. It came out delicious!! It slid right out of the pan and I clapped with joy! It looks just like your picture. I’m sure with nuts it would taste great too, I think I’m going to try that next time. Thanks so much for sharing!! (I put a cookie sheet underneath just in case and it was a good idea) wish I could post my picture
I’d love to see a picture! You can post directly to my ‘Sprinkle Some Sugar’ facebook page or tag me on instagram using the hashtag #sprinklesomesugar! So glad you loved the cake, Jessie! Isn’t the best part about making it flipping it over!
Cake turned out delicious was wondering if you can store in fridge?
Sure! I usually store it at room temperature though.
Made a huge version (2 1/2 times recipe) for large party. I used 1/2 sheet pan, lowered the temperature to 325 degrees and baked for extra 10 minutes due to size. Turned out perfectly. Thanks! Wish I could post a picture. Of it…:-)
I’d love to see!! That sounds awesome! Please post a pic on my Facebook page or tag me on instagram!!
Holy crap!!! Just took this cake out of the oven and it is absolutely delicious..!!! Wow..! I love to bake and try new recipes and this is by far the best I’ve ever made..!!😋😋
I don’t wanna share with anyone…lol
I will soo be making this again and again.
Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!!😊
Woo! Ha ha, you are too too funny! So glad you enjoyed the cake, Clarisa!
-Jessica
We are having friends over tonight & I made this cake with GF flour for our dessert. It looks delicious, BUT next time I would use a 9″ spring form pan. The directions above state only to use a 9″ pan, so I used one of my 9″ cake pans. After I poured the batter in it looked way too full so I removed some of the batter. But even with that, it overflowed & made a big mess in my oven unfortunately. Thank goodness for self-cleaning ovens! LOL
Hi, thank you for this recipe. Trying to figure out the best dish to bake this in. Wondering if it would bake well in a cast iron skillet as it is my favorite to cook and bake in. What do you think? Any and all opinio22nd are welcome. Thank you
I was so nervous making it but it came out so well! Loveee it! It’ll probably be over by tomorrow itself. I’ll have to make it again soon!
Hi. Can this recipe be made in advance and frozen?
Just made the banana upside down cake, it was great. Will make again. Thanks for the recipe
Just made the banana upside down cake,it was fabulous, will make again. Thanks for the recipe
Woo! Thanks for letting me know, Freda. Have an awesome weekend!
– Jess
I made this cake last night. After about 25 minutes the top was a deep golden brown, so I checked it with a toothpick in three spots because I didn’t want it to burn, but was skeptical about the quick browning. The toothpicks all came out crystal clean, no crumbs, no wet batter, so I took it out of the oven. I followed the cooling instructions, then inverted it onto a plate and it looked like the center sunk when I flipped it out on the plate. I let it cool, but found that it was runny in the center. My oven temperature is accurate. Any ideas?
This was so amazingly good! I added some crushed pineapple to the top with the cute up bananas.
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Regular milk will be just fine. Or you can mix in a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to the milk to make “buttermilk.”
Yay!! I Baked this cake for my husband’s birthday yesterday and when i took this cake out of the oven and it is absolutely delicious My Husband and i loved the cake
I’m sure i will be making this again
Thanks so much for this awesome recipe!
I have a round 2 quart, deep casserole dish. When I make the banana upside down cake it will be in the casserole dish! Greased and floured, the cake should come out.
This is a great recipe. I made it and I loved it, my little ones really like bananas so we keep a surplus in stock I will be using this to rid our house of the over ripe ones they don’t eat. Thank you.
This banana cake is THE BOMB! Everyone that tried it, loved it!
So happy to hear that!
– Jessica
Are there words to describe this banana upside down cake? SHOCKED because I thought it may be too sweet! AMAZED the flavors came together like no other! DELICIOUS, OUTSTANDING, WINNER WINNER! YUMMY MORE PLEASE …….DARN BECAUSE IT WONT LAST LONG! Only advice I could give when baking this SCRUMPTIOUS cake is do it when no one is around so you get more than one piece. Thank goodness it’s so EASY to make! Thank you for sharing this recipe because it’s a KEEPER!
Do you think this could be done in a cast iron skillet?
I have never tried, but have had readers tell me that they have made this in a cast iron with great success. Just be sure to grease very well!
I just made this in my 10 inch cast iron skillet and it turned out great. I used dark brown sugar so mine is a lot darker than the picture. I greased the pan really well with coconut oil and it came out of the pan easily. It did not flow over the pan as others have stated (but I did put a cookie sheet under just in case). Hope this helps.
Great idea to make this in a cast iron!
Hi, i want to bake this cake for my mum’s birthday and i’d like to know if brown sugar can be replaced with castor sugar.
I wanted a 9×13 cake so I did one and one half the recipe. It fits perfectly. I added walnuts for the protein and texture and a bit of pumpkin pie spice because I love it.
Sounds like some yummy additions!
Reading through the comments, I am shocked that no one said it was too sugary. I even left out the 1/4 white sugar in the batter and was still way too sweet (my bananas were not that ripe either). I feel like cutting the sugar in half would be better and using only half the glaze would be more than enough sugar sweetness in this cake. Love the idea! The cake is nice and moist and I LOVE the carmelization of the top! Adds sooo much flavor. Will use this recipe again with the adjustments to the sweetness. Thanks!
Can I add some sour cream to this like other recipes? I like my cakes very moist. How should I go about modifying the recipe?
I am not sure as I haven’t tested it out myself. If you decide to experiment with it, let me know!
I used sour cream instead of buttermilk because ei was all out. Can confirm it worked and it tastes delicious
Good to know – thanks!
Jessica, have you found why this cake overflows even with a 9″ round pan? Juok . st found your recipe and will be making tomorrow. Could the cause be too many bananas on cake bottom?
No, I don’t believe that is why. I think it has something to do with some people’s oven temperature getting too hot. To be honest, I am not sure why it happens to some and not others – it’s never happened to me! I’d just place a baking sheet underneath to be safe.
I wish I could post my picture of this glorious cake! I didn’t know whether to use light or dark brown sugar, so went with dark… Looks significantly different to your picture but its absolutely delicious. Thanks!
That’s great to hear! I am going to update the recipe – I usually use light but I’m glad to hear that it came out great using dark!
I made a couple of substitutions and it didnt work out. I used part flour and part almond flour. Used part almond milk and part heavy cream. Otherwise followed the recipe. It never got done in the middle, and the “topping” was grainy. I’m sad.
I’m sorry your substitutions didn’t work out. Please try the recipe as written for accurate results!
I have been making this cake for a few years now and it is a all around family favorite! Everyone LOVES this dessert. Thank you for sharing! 😊
That’s so awesome to hear, thank you for making my recipe for all this time!
I can’t wait to try out this recipe (later this evening or tomorrow morning)…and thought I’d ask two questions in the event you check in 1) When you say GREASE the pan…do you mind sharing your method? Is that crisco, or butter or cooking spray? Just want to make sure I use the correct method so as not to mess up the flavor…and so it turns out lol! and 2) any reason not to substitute vanilla bean paste for the vanilla? I know it can be a little more concentrated – but more vanilla flavor is always a good thing, right? lol Wanted to make sure that the difference in liquid to paste wouldn’t cause a problem? THANKS SO MUCH for sharing this obvious winner of a recipe, and for any assistance!
Hi! I am sorry for the delayed response – I’m not sure this will be much help now so I hope it turned out for you! I use cooking spray and vanilla bean paste will be just fine.
Hi! Going to try this recipe. I just noticed that in your recipe you are not cooking the butter and sugar, wouldn’t that result in granular sugary sauce on top? Thanks so much
Nope! It melts/caramelizes as it bakes. Enjoy!
I’ve been reading all the comments which I love but must share a story. My mother use to make an easy version in a deep round pan using a yellow cake mix which she would pour over the butter, brown sugar & banana base. I then made it for my kids and now grandkids.’
Sounds yummy!