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Upside-down Banana Cake

17/11/2023

Upside-down banana cake is a delicious and fluffy dessert that showcases the sweetness and creaminess of this fruit. Here is the recipe with an Italian twist.

Ingredients

  • 3-4 ripe bananas
  • 200g sugar (100g for the caramel, 100g for the batter)
  • 100g soft butter (50g for the caramel, 50g for the batter)
  • 200g of 00 flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 sachet of baking powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • Lemon juice

Preparation

  1. Start by preparing the caramel. In a pan, put 100g of sugar and 50g of butter on low heat. When the sugar has melted and starts to caramelize, pour the caramel into the bottom of a round cake pan (preferably one with a detachable bottom).
  2. Cut the bananas into rounds or longwise and arrange them on the caramel. You might squeeze some lemon juice on the bananas to prevent them from browning.
  3. Prepare the cake batter by whisking the remaining soft butter with the remaining 100g of sugar until fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs, one at a time, ensuring they are well incorporated before adding the next.
  5. Fold in the previously sifted flour with the baking powder, pinch of salt, and, if you like, the cinnamon. Add the vanilla extract.
  6. Pour the obtained batter into the pan with the bananas and caramel, leveling the surface.
  7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 35-40 minutes. To check the doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, which should come out clean.
  8. Once baked, let the cake cool slightly, then overturn it onto a serving plate so that the bananas are on the top side.

Curiosity

This cake is a variation of the classic upside-down apple cake, a rustic and comforting sweet treat very popular in Italy. The banana version is a perfect example of how Italian cuisine often adopts and adapts recipes from other countries, creating unique and delicious reinterpretations.

I suggest serving this cake warm, perhaps accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy your meal!