Upside-Down Brazilian Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 0.75 cup granulated sugar (for the caramel topping)
• 0.25 cup water
• 5 very ripe bananas (3 sliced into rounds for topping, 2 mashed for batter; darkly speckled)
• 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp kosher salt
• 0.5 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan.

2. 2

   In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally (do not stir), until the mixture turns a deep amber caramel, about 6 to 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan, tilting to coat the bottom evenly. Arrange the sliced rounds of 3 bananas in a single layer over the caramel.

4. 4

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. 5

   In a large bowl, whisk the 2 mashed bananas with the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.

6. 6

   Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined; do not overmix.

7. 7

   Pour the batter over the bananas in the cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

8. 8

   Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 50 minutes.

9. 9

   Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it.

10. 10

    Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. If any bananas stick to the pan, gently lift them off and replace them on the cake. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

Ensure bananas are very ripe and darkly speckled for the best texture and sweetness. The cornstarch is used to mimic cake flour for a finer crumb. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Store leftovers at room temperature under a cake dome.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• baking
• brazilian
• banana
• fruit
• latin american