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close up on the top of a slice of banana upside down cake

Peanut Butter Banana Upside Down Cake


  • Author: Jenna Barnard
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 16 slices

Description

A moist peanut butter cake baked with caramelized bananas


Ingredients

Banana Topping

Peanut Butter Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups (330g) all purpose flour *see notes for GF option
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 3/4 cup (200g) creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (110g) Danish Creamery unsalted European style butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temp

Instructions

Banana Topping

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, ensuring it covers the entire bottom of the dish and up the two longest sides.
  2. Vigorously whisk together the warm melted butter and brown sugar until the butter is no longer separated and it forms a paste-like consistency.
  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it in an even layer, completely covering the bottom of the pan.
  4. Peal your bananas and slice them down the center lengthwise. Place the bananas, cut side down, into the butter and brown sugar. Try to cover as much of the surface as possible, evenly spacing the bananas (see picture in post for reference). Set aside.

Peanut Butter Cake

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, peanut butter and melted butter.
  3. Once smooth, whisk in the vanilla and eggs.
  4. Alternating between the dry ingredients and the milk, mix the dry ingredients in thirds and the milk in two. So mix dry, then milk, then dry, then milk, then dry. The batter should be thick but still easy to whisk.
  5. Cascade the batter over top the bananas, constantly moving the bowl as you don’t want the batter to collect all in one spot. This can disrupt the distribution of the bananas underneath.
  6. Evenly spread the batter and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the edges and surface are lightly golden and a toothpick in the center comes out lean with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, lift the edges of the parchment paper just to help loosen the cake. Then, place a cooling rack or serving tray upside down on top of the cake pan. 
  8. With one hand on top of the cooling rack and another underneath the pan, flip the cake onto the rack and set everything down. Lift up the pan and peel pack the paper to reveal the caramelized bananas underneath.
  9. Slice and serve while the cake is still a bit warm. Enjoy!

Notes

GLUTEN FREE – Although I have not tested it, I believe this cake would work well with gluten free flour. Substitute the regular flour with a good quality gluten free baking flour – one with xanthan gum in the mix. I also suggest weighing the flour rather than measuring by cups, to ensure accuracy. 

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes

Keywords: banana upside down cake, peanut butter cake, banana cake, banana sheet cake, peanut butter sheet cake, upside down banana cake

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