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 bananasย sliced into ยผ" 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.ย 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?
Please leave a โญ๏ธ review below and tag @sprinkle_some_sugar on Instagram!
๐ 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 ยผ" rounds (or more depending on how you arrange them)
Cake
- 1 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- ยพ cup light brown sugar
- ยผ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup mashed banana about 2 medium sized bananas
- ยฝ cup buttermilk see recipe notes to make your own
- 1 tbs vanilla extract
- โ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF. 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.
Sherri says
Just tried a nibble, it is amazing! So moist and flavorful. I will definitely be making this cake again.
Jessica says
Thats so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know, Sherri! ๐
Narissa says
I've made this cake several times now and LOVE it!!! Such a hit
Was wondering, could I make these in muffin tins as mini upside down cakes? How long will the baking time be?
Jessica says
Since I have not tried myself, I don't know for sure, but I don't see why it wouldn't work as mini upside down cakes! I would probably start checking them around 15 minutes and go from there just to be on the safe size. I'm not sure what size you are planning to make so it is hard to say.
Lori Hoffbauer says
This was delicious! I baked it in my cast iron skillet and it turned out fantastic! Yummmmm!
Veronica says
I just put this beautiful baby in the oven and I am so excited to see the end result! Happy Motherโs Day to all!
Jessica says
Awesome!! I hope it came out amazing for you and that you had a wonderful Mother's Day! ๐
Kristie says
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 ๐ 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!
Jessica says
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.
Caitlin Green says
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! ?
Jessica says
That's so awesome to hear, thank you for making my recipe for all this time! <3
Sara says
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.
Jessica says
I'm sorry your substitutions didn't work out. Please try the recipe as written for accurate results!
Kim says
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!
Jessica says
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!
Ashley says
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?
Jessica says
I am not sure as I haven't tested it out myself. If you decide to experiment with it, let me know!
Kim says
I used sour cream instead of buttermilk because ei was all out. Can confirm it worked and it tastes delicious
Jessica says
Good to know - thanks!
Angela says
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!