This show-stopping perfectly spiced Banana Upside Down Cake is full of so much delicious flavor! The magic of the upside-down method is that when you flip it, you're met with a glorious gooey caramelized banana topping that's pure bliss.
Meet banana upside down cake. The pineapple upside down cake's (delicious) step sister. This cake is absolute heaven. The brown sugar and butter on top caramelize beautifully while baking creating a gooey coating that is to die for! 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 baked up super moist with a yummy punch of banana flavor.
In the mood for more cake? Try my glazed banana bundt cake recipe. How about banana bread? My banana nut bread or banana chocolate chip bread are both delicious.
Why you'll love this recipe
- The moment you flip the cake over is pure excitement revealing the gooey topping!
- FLAVOR! There SO much amazing flavor going on in this upside down banana cake. If you love bananas, this is for YOU!
- This cake has turned even banana haters into having seconds!
Ingredients
Topping
- Light brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Bananas: 2-3 bananasΒ sliced into ΒΌ" rounds
Banana Cake
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Light brown sugar
- Granulated sugar
- Mashed banana: You will need 1 cup of mashed banana for this recipe.Β About 2 medium sized bananas.
- Buttermilk: To make your own: Stir in 1 teaspoon of white distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice to the milk. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes until thickened.
- Vanilla
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
Substitutions & VAriations
- Add-ins: Add chopped walnuts to the batter.
Storage
Store upside down banana cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Freezing instructions
Wrap cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap and place in a resealable, freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
More banana recipes you'll love
Did you make this recipe?
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π Recipe
Banana Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Topping (Bottom of the Pan)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 6 tbs unsalted butter melted
- 2-3 bananas sliced into ΒΌ" rounds (or more depending on how you arrange them)
Cake
- 1 Β½ cups all-purpose flour
- Β½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- ΒΎ cup light brown sugar
- ΒΌ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 medium sized bananas
- Β½ cup buttermilk see recipe notes to make your own
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- β cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350Β°F. 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 42-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let cake cool for only 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!)
Notes
Nutrition
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Becky says
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!
Jessica says
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 π
Sasha says
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
Jessica says
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!
Jan says
Rarely am I ever able to reproduce a recipe that looks as good (maybe better π ) 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!
Jessica says
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 π I'm glad you loved it just as much as we do, Jan! Blueberries sound yummy!
Ingrid says
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
Jessica says
That's so great to hear! You're very welcome!
Caroline says
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!
Shari says
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!
Jessica says
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.
Nat says
Try using a 9 inch cake pan instead. More depth up the sides rather than a pie plate.
Kit says
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!
Jessica says
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! π
tamara says
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.
Sandra says
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!!
Jessica says
Yummy! Thanks for the ideas, I'm so glad you loved it Sandra!!
Janet says
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!
Jessica says
So happy you enjoyed it! Adding cinnamon sounds delicious, I'll have to try that next time!
Caroline says
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!
Trisha says
I also added a little cinnamon my cake is in the oven, for I have a bigger old cake pan itβs between 9 & 10 inches so it was perfect hope it turns out as good as it looks! Weβll see in about another 20 to 25 minutes.
Michelle says
I am making this today for Chic Night at our church tomorrow.... π 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 π
Jessica says
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! π
Elysa says
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?
Jessica says
Just store it covered at room temp, Ira even better the next day. Enjoy! And have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Elysa!
elysa says
Thank you so much it turned out great!! I wish I knew how to upload a picture.
elysa says
How do you store this? I want to make this a day before thanksgiving. Can i store in the the fridge?
PJ says
How do u make it gluten free?
Frances Moreau says
How did it come out