Sweet caramelized bananas sit on top of a soft, buttery, tender cake that's packed with rich banana flavor. This Banana Upside Down Cake is perfect for using up ripe bananas that are sitting on the counter. Instead of making the usual banana bread, this recipe transforms them into a show-stopping dessert that looks impressive but is surprisingly easy to make.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 50 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 8
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, caramelized, warmly spiced banana
- 🍚 Best Served With: Whipped cream, whipped topping, or vanilla ice cream
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, but best served fresh or slightly warm
Summarize and Save This Content On
It's a fantastic dessert for brunch, holidays, or anytime you want something a little extra special. A sweet treat that feels indulgent without being overly heavy.
This was inspired by my air fryer banana fritters and mini banana chocolate chip muffins on this site, and pairs well with this chocolate orage cake.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Perfectly Moist: Sour cream, butter, and mashed bananas create a tender crumb that stays soft and delicious.
- Easier Than it Looks: Even though upside down cakes seem fancy, the steps are simple and beginner-friendly.
- Simple ingredients. Everything in this recipe is easy to find at the grocery store or you already have on hand.
Ingredients
A short list of everyday baking ingredients come together to create a cake that tastes homemade and comforting in the best possible way.
- Brown sugar and Butter: Creates the smooth caramel layer that tops the cake after flipping.
- Bananas: For the topping, use firm ripe bananas. For the cake, very ripe bananas with black spots are best.
- Wet Ingredients: Gives the cake richness and a soft, tender crumb.
- Dry Ingredients: Provides the structure, helps the cake rise and keeps the crumb light.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds subtle warmth and complements the banana flavor perfectly and can be increased or decreased to suit personal tastes.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Tropical Additions: Add a few pineapple chunks and/or shredded coconut to the banana topping or batter for tropical flavor.
- More Caramel: Drizzle extra caramel sauce over the finished cake for an extra decadent dessert.
- Add Chocolate: Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter a chocolatey version.
- Add Pecans or Walnuts: Stir chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter or a sprinkling on top when serving for crunch.
Instructions
This cake is much easier to make than it looks, and the step-by-step process is very straightforward. Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°c. Grease an 8 inch round cake tin or line with parchment paper and set aside.
To make the topping, add the brown sugar and butter to a small saucepan. Place over a medium-low heat and stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble. Simmer for 15 second without stirring, then remove from the heat.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and arrange to bananas over the sugar mixture. Set aside.
Add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a medium-high speed using a flat beater attachment for 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs to the stand mixer 1 at a time, beating well in between. Next, add the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla and beat once again until well combined.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Mix on a low speed until just combined.
Spoon the batter over the bananas in the cake tin, and smooth the surface.
Bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked through.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes for flipping upside down onto a serving plate.
Recipe Tips
- Pack the banana slices tightly: Arrange them close together for the most beautiful look once the cake is flipped, trimming the bananas to fit as necessary.
- Allow cooling before flipping. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes in pan before inverting onto serving plate.
- Use an 8 inch CAKE pan: The right size pan helps the cake bake evenly and gives the proper height.
- Lower the center slightly: Smoothing the cake batter with a slight dip in the middle helps reduce doming.
- Do not wait too long to flip: Letting the cake cool just 5 minutes helps release the topping before it hardens.
- Serve it a little warm: This cake tastes especially delicious while the topping is still soft and glossy.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy air fryer bananas and banana bread.
Storage Directions
This banana upside down cake is best enjoyed fresh, especially while still a little warm, but leftovers can definitely be saved for later.
Refrigerator: Store this upside down cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Freezer: This cake is not suitable for freezing because the banana topping can release moisture and affect the texture of the cake after thawing.
Reheat: Warm individual slices gently in the microwave for a few seconds if you want to serve the cake slightly warm.
Make Ahead: You can bake this cake earlier the same day and serve it later, but it is best the day it is made.
Serving Suggestions
- Add a Topping: A dollop of whipped cream, whipped topping or ice cream adds a light finish.
- Coffee or tea: Serve a slice with hot coffee or tea for a cozy afternoon treat or relaxing snack.
- Cinnamon: A light dusting of cinnamon adds warmth and makes the banana flavor pop.
- Served slightly warm: The topping is at its best when the cake is just a little warm and glossy.
Recipe FAQs
The cake is done when the top is set and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil while it finishes baking.
Brown sugar is best for the topping because it creates a rich caramel flavor, but you can substitute granulated sugar in the cake batter if needed. The flavor will be slightly lighter, but the cake will still be delicious.
Grease the cake pan well or line it with parchment paper before adding the topping. Let the cake cool for only about 5 minutes before flipping so the caramel topping does not harden and stick.
Use ripe but still firm bananas for the topping so they hold their shape, and use very ripe bananas for the cake batter for the best sweetness and banana flavor.
Let the cake cool slightly, then place a plate on top of the pan and carefully invert.
More Banana Dessert Recipes
Do you like banana desserts? Here some recipes you may also like to try
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Banana Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 1 8 inch round CAKE pan deeper than a regular 8 inch round pan
Ingredients
Topping
- ¾ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- ⅓ cup butter
- 4 medium firm ripe bananas peeled and sliced lengthways
Cake
- ½ cup butter softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas Roughly 3 very ripe, soft bananas
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°c. Grease an 8 inch round cake tin or line with parchment paper and set aside.
- To make the topping, add the brown sugar and butter to a small saucepan. Place over a medium-low heat and stir frequently until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble. Simmer for 15 second without stirring, then remove from the heat. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin, and arrange to bananas over the sugar mixture. Set aside.
- Add the softened butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on a medium-high speed using a flat beater attachment for 3 minutes, or until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs to the stand mixer 1 at a time, beating well in between. Add the mashed bananas, plain yogurt and vanilla and beat once again until well combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt to the bowl. Mix on a low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the batter over the bananas in the cake tin, and smooth the surface. Bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked through. Loosely tent the cake with foil if it starts browning before the center is cooked.
- Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes for flipping upside down onto a serving plate.
Notes
- Pack the banana slices tightly: Arrange them close together for the most beautiful look once the cake is flipped, trimming the bananas to fit as necessary.
- Allow cooling before flipping. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes in pan before inverting onto serving plate.
- Use an 8 inch CAKE pan: The right size pan helps the cake bake evenly and gives the proper height.
- Lower the center slightly: Smoothing the cake batter with a slight dip in the middle helps reduce doming.
- Do not wait too long to flip: Letting the cake cool just 5 minutes helps release the topping before it hardens.
- Serve it a little warm: This cake tastes especially delicious while the topping is still soft and glossy.
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