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!
This looks sinfully delicious!!!
Thanks, Pamela! And it tastes sinfully delicious, too! :)
Love this recipe and Love Alder Lake! I grew up in Elbe! Thanks for this fabu recipe.
Hi Crystal, you’re kidding!! I should have included some of the pics I took of Elbe! Such a cute little town. And there’s a story that goes along with it. When we drove through it last winter on a family trip to Mt. Rainier, we noticed the tiny burger shack called “Scaleburgers.” We had such a good laugh at how bizarre the name was. Later came to find out it used to be a weigh station, hence the name. And little did we know that it has fantastic reviews and has long lines of people during the times it’s open in the summer. It’s on our list of places to try once it opens again next Summer!
How is the texture of the banana rings? Mushy? I was thinking of leaving those out, but I don’t want to. I am wondering if it’s gooey.
Hello! I’m trying to remember. The texture was soft and I don’t recall noticing the texture of the bananas as separate from the rest of the cake. In other words, when you take a bite of the cake, the bananas and cake kind of blend together texture-wise. If you’re squeamish about bananas, by all means leave that top layer of banana slices off. It will still taste the same, just a little less banana-y, but still thoroughly delicious.
Can I use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat flour?
Yes, but it will alter the texture and flavor. If you substitute 100% with all-purpose you’ll need to adjust the amount of liquids accordingly since whole wheat flour is much denser.
Words cannot describe how incredibly amazing this looks. I CANNOT wait to make/eat it!
Hello, Emsu! Thank you so much for the compliment! I’m excited for you to try it and look forward to your feedback :)
I made this banana bread tonight, let me just say it was supremely delicious! It might have to do with the fact the key flavors are all my favorites or the fact that I too have been avoiding carbs so this was a treat! Thanks so much for this recipe, it will be used for future splurges!
Hi Melanie! I’m so thrilled to hear that! :) Thank you so much for making this and for your feedback!
Could I use All Purpose Flour and if so , would the measurements be the same ?
Hi Donna! Yes, you can – just cut back a little on the liquid, like around 1/4 cup buttermilk instead of 1/3 since whole wheat flour absorbs more liquid.
This was absolutely divine. Moist, gooey, caramel-y, banana-y. I made a few small adjustments to the recipe… 3/4 cup whole wheat, 3/4 cup all purpose, threw in an extra 1/2 cup mashed banana, used 1/3 cup granulated sugar instead of 3/4 cup, and coconut oil instead of veg because that’s what I had on hand. I baked it at 325 for 45 min and then bumped it up to 350 for about 12 min. Perfect, will definitely make again.
Wonderful! I love baking with coconut oil (and include it in several of my recipes). It adds such a wonderful freshness. So happy you made and enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the feedback!