If you like chocolate cake and you like bananas give this simple chocolate banana upside down cake recipe a try. It is kind of like a mix between bananas foster and a chocolate cake without certain bananas foster ingredients and without frosting for the cake. You could frost this cake if you want to.
Ingredients
To make this chocolate banana upside down cake you need the following simple ingredients:
- Bananas – You don’t need overly ripe bananas and you can also use plantains.
- Butter – It can be salted or unsalted butter.
- Brown sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will work.
- Egg
- White granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract – This will add flavor.
- Cooking oil – Use vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, etc.
- Milk – I generally use whole milk, but any milk will work including something like almond milk.
- Sour cream – This optional ingredient will help make the cake moist.
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour or cake flour. I haven’t tried with gluten-free flour so I can’t say how it will turn out.
- Cocoa powder – Use the unsweetened kind for baking.
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Oven-safe skillet or normal skillet
- Cake pan if not using an oven-safe skillet
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sifter
- Electric mixer, optional
How to make a chocolate banana upside down cake at home
Start by making the chocolate cake batter. Combine all the wet ingredients in a medium bowl, which includes the egg, white granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cooking oil, and milk. Mix well with a whisk or you could do it with a hand mixer or stand mixer if desired.
NOTE: If you want the cake sweeter add more white sugar to the cake batter.
Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder to a sifter and sift those ingredients into the bowl. If you don’t have a sifter just whisk those together in a separate bowl first then add them.
Stir those ingredients in to finish the cake batter.
If you want the cake moist add some sour cream.
Prep the bananas and bake the cake
Peel and slice your bananas. You can cut them lengthwise or cut them into little medallions. The bananas do not need to be really ripe and you can also use plantains if desired.
Preheat the oven to 350F/176C.
Add an oven-safe skillet, I used a Hexclad skillet, to your burner and set the heat to medium-low. Next, add the butter and allow it to melt. Move the butter with a spatula up the edges of the pan to coat it. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter and stir.
Cook for a few minutes and stir until the brown sugar dissolves, no need to completely caramelize it, but you can. Just be careful, because it will continue to cook when baking. And if you overcook it there is a possibility of it turning bitter.
Add the banana slices cut side down in the skillet with the brown sugar and butter. Pour the cake batter evenly over the top of the bananas and spread it out with a spatula. If you don’t want any of the bananas on the edges to show once the cake bakes then make sure to cover them with the batter. I don’t mind if some of them show.
TIP: If you don’t want to use the brown sugar and butter you can just use a premade caramel sauce, like the kind used to go on top of ice cream or cheesecake. Which is the same kind used in this chocoflan recipe.
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
NOTE: IF you don’t have an oven-safe skillet you will need to pour the butter and sugar mixture into a prepared cake pan (greased with shortening or butter and floured). Then pour the batter over that to bake it.
Serve that banana upside-down cake
Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes then place a plate over the skillet and flip it over to remove the cake from the skillet. Slice the cake and serve.
If you desire you can also frost the top of the cake, I don’t do that, but you can if you like, but then it covers up the bananas. It is also very tasty with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
How long does this banana cake last?
It will last 4 to 5 days in the fridge. I don’t recommend leaving it out at room temperature.
Can I make this cake gluten-free?
I haven’t tried making a gluten-free version of this cake. If you would like to try it, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour mix in place of the flour. Everything else will be the same.
Here are some other cake recipes you may like:
3-Ingredient Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chocolate Banana Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- Oven-safe skillet or normal skillet
- Cake pan if not using an oven-safe skillet
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Sifter
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 bananas
- 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter 20g
- 1 to 2 Tbsp of brown sugar 14 to 28g
- 1 egg
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar 50 to 66g
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract 5g
- 3 Tbsp of cooking oil 45g
- 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp of milk 105g
- 1 cup of all-purpose or cake flour 120g
- 3 Tbsp of cocoa powder 40g
- 2 tsp of baking powder 10g
- 1/4 tsp of salt 1g
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the egg, white granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cooking oil, and milk.
- Use a sifter or whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa powder and add those ingredients into the bowl. Stir to finish the cake batter. You can use a hand mixer or stand mixer if desired.
- Preheat the oven to 350F/176C.
- Peel and slice your bananas. You can cut them lengthwise or cut them into little medallions.
- Heat an oven-safe skillet on medium low then add the butter and allow it to melt.
- Move the butter up the edges of the pan to coat it. Once melted add the brown sugar and stir. Cook for a few minutes until the brown sugar dissolves.
- Now, add the bananas cut side down in the skillet with sugar and butter. Pour the cake batter evenly over the top and spread it out with a spatula.
- Bake the cake in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when poked in the center.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes then place a plate over the skillet and flip it over to remove the cake from the skillet. Slice the cake and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Do you like this easy recipe? Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. Save the Pin to Pinterest! If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.
