Bananas remind me of my family; especially my mom. Sliced, frozen, raw- I grew up eating them. My mom’s favorite ice cream flavor is- you guessed it- banana, and I have vivid memories of peanut butter, banana, and mayonnaise toasted sandwiches, shared with my sister as we attempted to climb up and sit cross-legged on our kitchen counter. (My sister and I always made an adventure into climbing on top of things. I have no idea why.)
For those of you whose reaction to the sentence before last was “You had what on your peanut butter and banana sandwiches?” You haven’t lived until you have had one. (However, if you do make this, please lightly toast your white bread and lightly spread a bit of mayonnaise on your slices, then a layer of peanut butter, then a layer of sliced bananas. Key word: lightly. Now enjoy your new perspective. :))
And there is something about baking during the holidays that stirs you to create extra special desserts for the ones you love- and incorporate their favorite flavors into what you serve. Wanting to move outside of just banana bread, I came across this recipe on Pinterest and immediately fell in love.
Caramelized bananas in brown sugar and butter? Yes. Baking in my favorite cast-iron skillet? Yes again.
And topping it all off with my mom’s homemade vanilla ice cream? Si; Oui, s’il vous plaît; and yes some more.
I hope this cake wows your loved ones like it did mine. It is perfect served warm out of the oven, so put it in as you sit down to your main course. Which, if you are lucky, will be a peanut butter, mayonnaise, and banana sandwich.
Banana Toffee Upside Down Cake
This recipe was taken from Foodess.com– one of my new favorite food blogs.
What You Will Need:
For the topping:
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) butter
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rum
- 3 large, ripe bananas, laved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2″ pieces (I think you could even cut the bananas into rounds if you felt so inclined. I know, some days you just need to chop something.)
For the cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup (3 ounces) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp rum
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I use this because I am a vanilla extract snob)
- 3/4 cup whole milk
What You Will Do:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add sugar and rum; stir briefly, then allow to bubble and caramelize for about 5 minutes, until it becomes a rich, golden brown. Remove from the heat and arrange bananas over toffee.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Beat in rum and vanilla extract.
3. With the mixer speed on low, add one-third of the flour mixture, then one half of the milk. Repeat, ending with the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. I am not sure what this specific order actually does, but it made me feel very professional.
4. Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet over your banana/toffee mixture.
5. Put your skillet into the pre-heated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Watch it though; mine got pretty brown at about 28 minutes.
6. Allow the cake to cool in the pan 5 minutes before inverting it onto a plate. Then try not to climb on your kitchen counter and eat it all.