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!
Caramel Banana Upside Down Bread http://t.co/WQWF6NvIEu
seriously never been more happy or in love with banana anything In my entire life. My whole family + the neighbors devoured this within the hour it was done. It’s definitely our go to banana recipe from now on, I can’t thank you enough for this amazing recipe it brought serious smiles to everyone around me! this was the absolute perfect bread to have and eat during the holidays, were even making a new one to save for French toast :) xoxox happy holidays. Thank you so much!! <3 <3 <3
Chelsea, you’ve made my day! I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to hear how much you all enjoyed this. Seriously, it’s feedback like yours that makes all the hard work that goes into food blogging worth it! Thank YOU!! And Merry Christmas! -Kimberly
When I tipped mine out of the pan he sugar and bananas stayed in the bottom :-(
Oh no, Rachael! That’s the first time I heard of that happening! A couple of possibilities come to mind: It sounds like the dough on the bottom may not have been cooked through enough in order to hold the bananas in place. Either that or maybe you didn’t let the cake cool for 20 minutes before inverting it? For upside-cakes it’s crucial to let the cake cool so that the sugary fruit on the bottom can solidify a little before it’s inverted.
I followed the recipe exactly and even set my timer for the 20mins. Maybe next time I will flour the Tim before hand. I managed to salvage it and made the glaze anyway and it may not look pretty but WOW does it taste amazing! So moist and delicious.. Best banana bread I’ve ever made!
I often find things I made perfectly back home in England don’t turn out the same here in Alaska, I wondering it’s an altitude thing.
Ah, so nice to chat with someone from England! I miss England so much. I lived just outside of Peterborough for over 6 years. Anyway, YES, though I don’t have firsthand experience with it, I know that altitude can pose major challenges in baking. There are a lot of adjustments that need to be made for it, but what those are I’m not sure. In any case, I’m very happy to hear it at least tasted great and that you enjoyed it so much!
P.S. My husband is originally from Anchorage and gets jealous every time he hears of someone living there.
I live in Ancorage!! I’ve been here just over three years. I miss England every day! I am from Bury St Edmunds and used to get the train to Peterborough, small world :-)
Yes, I’ve been to Bury St. Edmunds several times! Very small world indeed :) My husband was born in Anchorage and spent a great deal of time in Wasilla where his grandparents lived. They owned a home on some breathtaking property on Lake Lucille. Sure wish it could have stayed in the family. Whether you’re in AK temporarily or permanently, all the best to you, Rachael!
Kimberly, I live at about 4,000 feet elevation, and the only adjustment I’ve had to make when baking is to allow 5-10 minutes longer to bake, depending on what it is I’m baking. As far as I know that’s all that is needed to make things come out right at altitude.
Hi Susan! I’m definitely no expert on the subject of baking adjustments for high altitudes. I studied up on it a bit and here’s what I found what I out (terribly boring, but this is a note to myself for future reference more than anything): Starting at 3000 ft, for every 1000 extra ft the amount of baking powder, sugar, and liquid needs to be adjusted (liquid increased, baking powder and sugar decreased), and oven temperature is usually increased by 15 to 25 degrees with a decrease in baking time. Depending on the elevation, apparently using butter can pose a problem too and shortening is recommended in those cases because it holds more liquid. At higher elevations, bread will also rise faster, so anything with yeast needs to be watched more closely. Another factor that greatly impacts baking outcomes is humidity levels. Sources also say that at higher altitudes cakes tend to stick to pans more, so they should be more thoroughly greased, and it’s recommended that cakes pans are only filled half full instead of the standard 3/4 full because high altitudes can cause the cake to overflow. And lastly, at higher altitudes extra large eggs are recommended in order to stabilize the batter or else it will be too dry. Things like angel food cake often require several additional eggs at high altitudes. Bottom line: The main factor affecting baked items is the low pressure resulting from the higher altitude. This leads to lower boiling points, faster evaporation and rapid rising. In addition, low humidity dries out things like flour, causing a dry, crumbly product.
Whew! I’m just happy I live at sea level! :) That said, these same sources say not to make the assumption that “sea level recipes” won’t work at higher altitudes. Some will work just fine and others will need to be adjusted depending on how high the altitude and the pressure/humidity levels. It sounds like you’ve been fortunate to not have to adjust anything other than baking time.
RE: High altitude baking and cooking–I live at 6400′ and have lived as high as 7500′. So, here’s the deal. Moisture does affect baking. Used to live in GA and it was wet–adjustment required. However, I’ve not noticed a great deal of baking difference at our current altitude. Every recipe requires some adjustment no matter where you lives–the USA is a big place with lots of micro-climates. Not filing the pans beyond half is a good piece of advice when baking above 4000′. Not cooking dry/soaked beans (unless with a pressure cooker) above 7000 is excellent advice. Just buy them in the can. You’ll cook them all day and barely anything will happen Uses too much energy for the product–why waste it? Just common sense. Making a recipe more than once will show you the adjustments necessary.
I made the banana bread and increased the moisture content with more banana because we live in a very dry climate. Took a look at the batter and said, YES. Otherwise, the recipe was good and our friends said “this is Christmas bread, where’s the recipe?” Cooking at very high altitudes above 7000′ is the real bugger. Everything takes longer and nothing gets to the table hot, cooling almost instantly upon removal from the fire. Try having a hot cup of coffee or giving a dinner party for 12. Ugh.
Hi, Elle! That’s really fascinating. It’s hard to conceive boiling beans all day with little effect! Crazy. My lived for many years in Arizona (Mesa) and he tells me that Flagstaff is one of the bigger cities in the U.S. at a around 7000 ft. I don’t know anyone who lives there but it would interesting to know what their daily cooking and baking experience is like. Thanks for the insight, Elle, and I’m so happy you enjoyed the banana bread!
I agree that I am fortunate regarding the adjustments I’ve had to make, especially since I have not only the higher altitude to contend with, but also the fact that I live in the desert, where the humidity is very low. It may be that I just bake things that are so simple that altitude doesn’t affect them that much. Thanks for the information you’ve given about higher altitude baking. I will definitely keep that in mind if I run into problems.
My husband adores banana bread and I simply hate it. However, this recipe reads like something I might like. I have a half a can of coconut milk in the frig I need to use. Think I’ll try adding it to the mix with an oil adjustment. I love it when cooks care about their presentation. It’s a beautiful one, too. Let you know how it turns out! Thanks.
Thanks, Elle! Looking forward to hearing how it turns out with the coconut milk!
So I just made this.. and the sugar in the beginning didn’t melt completely.. and I overcooked my topping.. and I was too soon with flipping it so it broke in half… BUT it tasted amazing:D
Oh no! Well, I’m glad that you nevertheless maintained a positive attitude about the experience! And on another positive note, now that you’ve had the “practice round” you’ll be able to make it with absolute perfection next time! :) Thanks for making this, Demelza, and for your feedback!
This was amazing. Didn’t have cream for the glaze but the bread alone was delicious!
Wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it and thank you so much for your feedback!
I have this baking in my oven right now !
A helpful tip would be to melt the coconut oil a bit before incorporating it into the recipe, it just makes it a lot easier to work with :)
Hi Kara! Yipeee! You know, for certain recipes solidified coconut oil can be a problem, but for others, like this one, I just use an electric mixer to blend it up in the batter and it’s never posed a problem. Plus, sometimes I’m just too lazy to add an extra step if I don’t have to ;)
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