Caramel Banana Upside Down Bread
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Drenched in homemade caramel sauce and loaded with bananas, this unique caramel banana bread is wonderfully moist and irresistibly delicious!
For more sticky caramel cakes be sure to try our Caramel Pear Walnut Cake and Sticky Toffee Pudding!
I couldn’t take it anymore. After two carb-free days to lose the 2 pounds I had gained after an indulgent week, I had to have CARBS. A few days ago I was back down to my desired weight and I approached the day with a smile on my face. An almost intoxicated giddiness set in. Rubbing my hands together – “I can eat carbs today!” I ended up going the majority of the day without carbs again, though the avoidance wasn’t deliberate this time, it just worked out that way. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and here in WA you learn not to take those days for granted. I loaded the kids up in the car and we headed down toward Mt. Rainier to Alder Lake Park.
A breathtakingly serene lake in an idyllic setting. Such a beautiful day – must have been in the high 70’s – and get this, we were the only ones there! Really strange. We had run of the park, the playground, the shoreline. …Where was I going with this? Oh yes, no carbs. I had just grabbed some fruits and veggies to take along and a few extra things for the kids, so it wasn’t until I got home later that afternoon that I allowed myself to indulge. And oh what a sweet indulgence it was!
The kids were both tuckered out from a day of play and took a nap as soon as we got home. In fact, this was the first time ever that my son fell asleep on the floor while playing with his toys. He had been making his usual choo-choo train sound effects and suddenly all went silent. I peeked in his room and there he was – fast asleep. My daughter fell asleep five minutes later and so I headed off to the kitchen to create something to satisfy my craving for carbs.
This creation wasn’t planned. I was just craving something cakey…something caramelly (like that magnificent Whole Wheat Pear Upside Down Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Sauce) I noticed the stash of bananas in my fruit basket and thought about making some kind of caramelly, carby banana thing. Some kind of twist on your standard ol’ banana bread. Then the upside-down concept occurred to me. Ohhhh, it was wunderbar!
Once again, I chose whole wheat flour (complex carbs = much better for you). But health benefits aside, I just think whole wheat tends to pair better with caramelly stuff. The richer, earthier, nuttier flavor really complements the sweet caramel. But feel free to substitute white flour if you prefer. Just cut the baking powder in half, increase the oven temperature to 350 and bake for about 45 minutes instead.
What a fabulous day it was! Beautiful drive, beautiful lake and surroundings, play time with the two cutest and happiest little kids in the world, and a deliciously moist, caramelly banana bread cake. Once you’ve tried this you may never go back to the original way of making banana bread again!
Caramel Banana Upside Down Bread Recipe
Let’s get baking!
Mash the bananas. (The more over-ripe the bananas are the more flavor they will yield.)
Lightly grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and spread the brown sugar out on the bottom. I recommend aluminum.
I use and like Fat Daddio’s.
Evenly place the butter pieces on top of the brown sugar. Place the loaf pan in the oven preheated to 325 degrees F and leave in for 8 minutes.
In the meantime, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
I decided to add a little cinnamon too.
Take the loaf pan out of the oven.
Stir to combine the sugar and butter and spread the mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan.
Slice a couple of bananas in 1/4 inch rounds and layer them on top of the sugar mixture.
Add all remaining ingredients to the flour mixture.
Beat on medium-high speed just until combined.
Pour the batter over the bananas in the loaf pan.
Bake in the oven preheated to 325 degrees F for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out moist but clean. Let the bread sit in the pan for about 20 minutes before inverting it onto a cake platter.
Make the caramel syrup (see instructions in recipe box) and pour and spread evenly over the banana bread. Serve immediately or wait until cooled. Note: The caramel glaze will firm up and discolor, so you may want to wait until you’re ready to eat it to spread on the glaze.
Enjoy!
Slice and Enjoy!
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Caramel Banana Upside Down Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into several pieces
- 2 bananas , sliced in 1/4 inch rounds
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans , optional
- 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup mashed overripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil or oil of choice
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- For the Caramel Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.Spread the brown sugar on the bottom of the loaf pan. If using nuts, sprinkle them evenly over the sugar. Dot with the butter. Put it in the oven for about 8 minutes. Stir the mixture until dissolved and spread evenly on the bottom of the pan. Place a single layer of the banana slices on top of the sugar mixture along the entire bottom of the pan.Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add all the remaining wet ingredients and beat just until combined. Do not over-beat.Pour the batter over the sliced bananas in the pan.Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean but moist. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting it on a cake platter.
- To prepare the Caramel Glaze, place the butter, brown sugar and heavy cream in a small saucepan (you can also microwave the ingredients for a minute). Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for a minute. Pour the glaze evenly over the cake (on the upside down side with the bananas on top).
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet June 10, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Yummeee! Looks divine! What a lovely post :-)
Thanks so much, bakeaffairs! Coming from a brilliant baker like yourself, that’s a true compliment! :)
This looks wonderful! I cannot wait to try it.
Thanks for the compliment and for stopping by! :) Once you’ve made it, be sure to let me know what you think!
This banana bread sounds absolutely delicious. Holy cow. Great pictures.
Thank you, Shayla! :)
This cake is a wow! Can it be frozen
Thank you! If you do, freeze it without the caramel glaze and add the glaze on after it’s thawed, otherwise as it thaws it will leave a really messy texture.
How much oil and buttermilk do you use?
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the recipe box where all the ingredients and directions are provided.
This sounds and looks amazing, thanks for sharing. Love the photos too.
Thank YOU for the compliments and for visiting!
Can I use demanerra sugar instead of brown sugar for layering the tin?
Yes, you can!
THAT looks AMAZING!!!! Will try!!
Thank you! It didn’t make it past a few hours in our home ;) Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it!
I doubt that I would ever make this because I just don’t get cravings or care much for real sweet things, but it looks beautiful. I’m also glad you shared pictures from Mt. Ranier. We were driving around that mountain back in the summer of 2008, in August, when all the flowers were in bloom and it was gorgeous. Your experience of finding no people there on a gorgeous day just shows that you are much smarter than everybody else… :-)
You’re like my husband in that respect – he never craves sweets or carbs either. So unfair, you two! Hahahaha, well I never would have equated my going to the lake with a superior level of intelligence, but I’ll take the compliment anyway! :)
Caramel Banana Upside Down Bread. A deliciously moist, caramelly banana bread that won’t last long, so eat up while… http://t.co/QF3FBvq7Cd
Could you use something else in place of buttermilk?
Buttermilk helps “tenderize” the cake and makes it soft and moist. If you don’t have buttermilk you can simply add a little less than 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar to the milk and let it sit for 5 minutes before adding it to the batter. That’s a quick and easy way to make you own buttermilk in a pinch!
Kim, do you have the means to help me figure out the nutritional values for this? I know it’s a desert, but the values do help me choose which snacks I include in my diet. Thanks, Ann
Hi Ann, there are a few sites that will do that for you such as fitday.com and caloriecount.com. You simply enter the ingredients and quantities and it generates a complete breakdown of nutritional info.
you can use sour cream or light sour cream in place of the buttermilk – I do it in recipes all the time – make a nice moist cake/bread
Hi Pam, sour cream is a great option for sure!
Loved this cake. Made it immediately. It came out so well. And its delicious.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Chitra, thank you!