Upside Down Banana Cake: A Perfect Sweet Use for Leftover Bananas

Upside Down Banana Cake is a traditional cake made with caramelized bananas and a moist, tender base. The banana slices become sticky and sweet as they cook for a naturally sweet effect. This is a perfect recipe to use up extra ripe bananas instead of banana bread. It’s sweeter and makes a beautiful centerpiece.

How to make Upside Down Banana Cake

First, make the caramelized bananas by melting the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the cinnamon and vanilla extract and cook until fragrant and dark brown. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, peel six bananas and place them into the caramel sauce in the skillet. Roll the bananas in the caramel to coat.

Lay out the puff pastry on a work surface and use an inverted dinner plate to trace a large circle of puff pastry with a knife. Discard excess puff pastry.

Dock the puff pastry by piercing it all over with a fork. Dust a large oven-safe skillet with powdered sugar and place the caramel bananas into the pan. Pour the remaining caramel sauce on top of the bananas and cover with the puff pastry.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden and puffed. Use a plate to carefully invert the cake out of the pan. Slice and enjoy!

Tips

You can freeze leftover Upside Down Banana Cake for a make-ahead treat. Let the cake cool fully to room temperature first. Then wrap the cake in two layers of tight plastic wrap. Freeze for up to three months. When you’re ready to serve, let the cake come to room temperature on the counter for several hours before slicing. You can also warm the slices in the microwave for 10-seconds at a time.

Instructions

Prepare the puff pastry by cutting it into a 22 cm round.

Pierce the pastry all over with a fork.

Melt the butter in a pan then add the brown sugar and heat until sugar is dissolved and it has formed a sauce consistency.

Add in the vanilla and cinnamon and stir.

Add peeled bananas to toffee sauce and coat well.

Arrange toffee bananas into a 22cm tin.

Pour over remaining toffee sauce.

Place the prepared pastry on top.

Place in the oven at 190°C or 375°F for  30 minutes.

Remove from oven cool for 15 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream.

Notes

This cake is best enjoyed right away after cooking. The cake will come out of the pan most easily when it’s still warm. As it cools, the caramel will harden and become stickier.

The cake is done when the puff pastry is visibly darker and firmer. It’s important for the pastry to cook all the way through. Otherwise, it won’t hold up the carmelized bananas on top.