This moist and fluffy Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake has a sticky brown sugar topping and is studded with chopped walnuts. The combination of cinnamon, rum, and dark brown sugar is ultra drool-worthy. Especially when paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you’ve ever tried bananas foster before, then I’m sure you know just how good it is. Warming cinnamon and dark brown sugar paired with vanilla ice cream and chopped nuts is like a warm hug. This Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake is our slight twist on the classic dessert.
The topping is made by melting together dark brown sugar, butter, and rum. Then sliced bananas are placed on the sauce and the batter is poured over the top. The cake itself even has mashed bananas inside for maximum flavor.
Once it’s all baked, give it a quick flip, and you’ve got yourself a delicious banana upside down cake that’s perfect for sharing. And don’t forget to top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Ingredients
Below are a few notes about the ingredients. For a full list with measurements, check out the recipe card below.
- Bananas: The entire cake uses about 8-9 bananas in total.
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need 1 tbsp for the pan and more for the topping and batter.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This has a much richer flavor than light brown sugar, making it perfect for this bananas foster cake.
- Rum: Bananas foster traditionally uses dark rum, but we used spiced rum since that’s what we had on hand. Feel free to use either depending on how intense you want the rum flavor to be.
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: We recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your flour in grams.
- Ground Cinnamon: For an extra layer of flavor and warmth.
- Baking Powder: To test if yours is still good, add ¼ cup of boiling water to ½ tsp of baking powder. If it bubbles, it’s good. If not, replace it with a new batch.
- Salt: We use fine sea salt.
- Eggs: To bring them to room temperature faster, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
- Sour Cream: This makes the cake super soft and moist.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: You’ll need 2 tsp for the batter.
- Chopped Walnuts: You can replace these with chopped pecans or omit them if you want.
Special Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking pan
- Pastry brush
- Small pan
- Kitchen scale (recommended)
Instructions (with photos)
Start by melting the butter, dark brown sugar, and rum in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted then allow it to cook until it’s thick, glossy, and lightly bubbly. Immediately remove it from the heat and pour it into a prepared 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking pan.
Cut the (just) ripe bananas in half lengthwise and place them onto the sauce, cut side down. You should be able to fit 4-5 bananas into the pan depending on how many you want on top. If some are too long, just take an inch or two off (we usually just eat these bits, but you can stuff them into the gaps).
To make the cake batter, whisk together the cooled, melted butter with the dark brown sugar. Add the mashed bananas, eggs, sour cream, rum, and vanilla extract then whisk until everything is fully combined.
Fold in half the flour mixture with a silicone spatula then add the remaining half along with the chopped walnuts and fold until just combined. The key is to not overmix to ensure that your cake comes out soft and moist.
Once the batter is done, pour it into the baking pan over the top of the bananas. Use a silicone spatula to smooth out the top and push the batter toward the edges.
Bake the cake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The center of the cake should also spring back when touched. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
After it’s cooled slightly, place a cooling rack over the pan then quickly and carefully flip it over (be sure to wear oven mits since the pan will still be hot). Tap the top and sides of the pan to loosen any parts then carefully lift it off the cake.
Tips
- Use a pastry brush to completely coat the inside of the pan with butter. And don’t forget about going up the sides. No need to use parchment paper as long as you’ve thoroughly coated your pan.
- Use a combination of ripe and very ripe bananas. The bananas used for the top should barely be ripe so they hold their shape and don’t turn to mush as they bake. A few brown spots are fine. We recommend using very ripe bananas in the batter to get more of the sweetness out of them.
- Accurately measure your flour. We recommend using a kitchen scale to measure in grams. This way ensures more accurate results and is how we measure all of our baked goods. If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon and level method to avoid overpacking your flour.
- Bring your ingredients to room temperature. Doing so allows them to incorporate better into the batter. It also reduces the risk of curdling the melted butter when adding the eggs and sour cream.
- Don’t overmix. The key to the best Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake is to fold in your dry ingredients until just combined. Too much mixing develops the gluten which will lead to a tough, dense cake rather than a soft and fluffy one.
FAQ
Of course! For the topping, just omit the rum. For the cake, you can replace it with an equal amount of milk. If you’re a fan of non-alcoholic spirits like we are, you can try using Lyre’s Spiced Cane Spirit and let us know how it came out!
Yes, you can use the same amount of Greek yogurt as you would the sour cream.
Storing and Reheating
Storing: Place the cake pieces in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. Be sure to cool the cake completely before placing it in the fridge. You can also keep the cake wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter for up to 1-2 days.
Freezing: You can freeze any leftovers for up to 3 months. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store in a Ziploc bag. Let the pieces thaw completely in the fridge before warming them up in the microwave.
Reheating: Microwave a slice for about 15-20 seconds until warm.
For more banana recipes, check out our Chocolate Chunk Tahini Swirl Banana Bread as well as this Double Chocolate Banana Bread!
Don’t forget to leave a STAR REVIEW and comment if you loved this recipe! Tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your tasty creations! For more inspiration, follow us on Pinterest.
📖 Recipe
Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) Baking Pan
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Banana Topping:
- 70 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter plus 1 tbsp (14 g) for greasing the pan
- 100 g (½ cup) dark brown sugar packed
- 1 tbsp spiced or dark rum
- 4-5 just ripe bananas
For the Cake:
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 200 g (1 cup) dark brown sugar packed
- 370 g (1 ⅔ cup) mashed very ripe bananas about 3-4 bananas
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 180 g (¾ cup) full-fat sour cream room temperature
- 3 tbsp spiced or dark rum
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 90 g (¾ cup) chopped walnuts
Instructions
For the Caramelized Banana Topping:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9x13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan with 1 tbsp (14 g) of melted butter. Use a pastry brush to thoroughly coat the sides and bottom of the pan.
- In a small pan over medium heat, add the 70 g (5 tbsp) of butter, dark brown sugar, and rum. Stir constantly to melt everything together.
- Once melted, stir frequently and cook until the mixture is thick, glossy, and slightly bubbly.
- Immediately remove it from the heat and pour the sauce evenly into the prepared baking pan. Use a silicone spatula to spread it toward the edges as best as you can.
- Cut the bananas in half lengthwise and place the halves on the sauce, cut side down. Set aside.
For the Cake:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled butter with the dark brown sugar. Add the mashed bananas, eggs, sour cream, rum, and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined.
- Fold in half of the flour mixture using a silicone spatula until just combined. Add the remaining half of the flour along with the chopped walnuts and fold until just combined. Don't overmix.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan over the top of the bananas. Use a spatula to smooth out the top.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The center of the cake should spring back when touched.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then place a cooling rack over the pan. Quickly and carefully flip it over and tap the top and sides to loosen any bits of cake that might be stuck (we suggest wearing oven mits since the pan will still be hot). Gently lift off the pan to reveal the cake.
- Top with more walnuts if desired then slice and serve warm. Best enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Notes
- Rum: We used spiced rum for this recipe, but you can use dark rum for a stronger flavor. To make the cake without rum, omit it from the topping then replace it with an equal amount of milk in the batter.
- Measuring Flour: We highly suggest using a kitchen scale to measure in grams for more accurate results. If you don't have one, you can use the spoon and level method. Do not scoop the flour with the measuring cup. This will cause the cake to come out dry.
- Storing and Reheating: Wrap in plastic wrap and keep on the counter for 1-2 days. You can also place the pieces in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. To warm up the slices, heat them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Scott Sletten says
What is the difference between spiced rum and dark rum !
fancifuleats says
Hi Scott! Spiced rum has added flavorings like cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla etc. which is why it has that amber color. Dark rum gets its color from being aged longer in wooden barrels (and sometimes from added molasses), and has a much more intense smoky flavor. Hope that helps! 🙂