Banana Bread Pecan Upside Down Cake

Think classic moist banana bread but with a delicious caramelized sticky pecan upside down base that becomes the top, this Banana Bread Pecan Upside Down Cake is perfect for literally anytime.

How do you make a moist banana cake?

Dry banana bread is simply the worst so this banana cake uses a combination of oil and butter because it keeps it moist while keeping the delicious buttery flavor.

How to mash bananas?

There’s really no rules when it comes to mashing bananas. You can use a fork or an electric mixer to mash bananas for this bread. I would not recommend a blender or food processor because it will turn the bananas into soup. I usually don’t find that I actually need to mash them after cooking in the butter and brown sugar because they break down.

How to quickly ripen bananas?

In case your bananas aren’t quite ripe and spotty, I recommend roasting them in the oven on a lined baking sheet at 350 F for 10-15 minutes until black and soft. Allow them to cool before using for the cake.

Can I use frozen bananas?

Yes, you can use frozen bananas for the actual batter of the cake, just put them in the pan with the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon and they will defrost and cook down.

Tips for making a Banana Bread Pecan Upside Down Cake

• Allow the pecan upside down mixture to chill in the fridge first to prevent the banana batter from mixing in and swirling it around.
• The perfect bananas for banana cake are brown and spotty but not completely brown and mushy. If they are too ripe you’ll have a somewhat alcoholic tasting bread that has too much moisture in it because the bananas will have broken down too far.
• Make sure to bake this cake in a metal pan but you can use a 8″ square pan or a 9″ round cake pan.
• If you feel like the bananas aren’t easily mushing in the pan, you haven’t cooked them long enough, allow them to keep cooking at low heat until they can be mushed with a fork.
• I like to use pecans for the classic pecan sticky bun vibe but you could also use walnuts.
• Make sure the butter and banana mix has cooled before adding in the rest of the ingredients to prevent cooking the eggs or activating the baking soda too soon.
• Don’t over mix the batter. Banana cake can easily become tough if over mixed so be sure to mix the dry ingredients only until just combined.
• Set a timer for cooling time, if you let it cool too long, the sugary upside down syrup will harden and make it hard to flip out.

Additional Cake Recipes to try!

• Banana Upside Down Cake
• Banana Cake
• Double Chocolate Banana Bread

Banana Pecan Upside Down Cake Ingredients

• Pecans: I’ve used unsalted raw pecans for this but you could also use walnuts!
• Butter: I recommend using salted butter for both the topping and the batter.
• Bananas: Ideally you want to use spotty brown medium sized bananas. Depending on the size you need approximately 3 for the batter.
• Vanilla: Vanilla extract enhances the sweetness and flavor of the bread.
• Sugar: This cake uses granulated sugar and dark brown sugar in the cake batter as well as brown sugar in the topping.
• Maple Syrup: Make sure to use real maple syrup for the pecan topping!
• Whole Milk: A little bit of milk is added into the pecan topping to thin it out.
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the store, make sure they are at room temperature.
• Salt: A little bit of salt enhances the flavors and balances out the sweetness.
• Greek yogurt: I like to use full fat unsweetened greek yogurt for the banana bread but sour cream will work too!
• Oil: Any neutral oil such as vegetable, canola, or avocado will work for this cake to keep it moist.
• Flour: I used all purpose flour but you could substitute half whole wheat flour in this bread.
• Cinnamon: I like to add a touch of cinnamon into the batter for a bit of yummy flavor and warmth.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda helps the banana cake rise and keep a tender texture.

How to make a Banana Bread Pecan Upside Down Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the middle of the oven. A place a rack with a sheet pan one level below to catch any drips.

Pecan Upside Down topping

• Grease an 9″ x 9″ square metal pan with a bit of butter and then line it with a rectangle of parchment paper that goes down one side, across the bottom and up the other side.
• Roughly chop the pecans and sprinkle them over the bottom of the pan.
• In a small pot add in the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, milk, and salt. Heat over medium low heat until melted, stir and cook until combined and just bubbling.
• Turn off the heat and pour in the vanilla.
• Pour the mixture all over the pecans and then put the pan on a kitchen towel into the fridge to firm and chill.

Banana Cake Batter

• In a medium sauce pan, add in the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 3 of the sliced bananas (approximately 325 grams). Place the heat over medium low, and cook stirring regularly until the bananas start to soften and the sugar has dissolved.
• Once a bit soft and saucy, smush the bananas if needed with a fork. Then remove it from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a medium mixing bowl add in the white sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, yogurt and oil. Whisk to combine.
• Pour in the caramelized banana smush and whisk again.
• Sprinkle the flour over the surface of the wet ingredients and then the baking soda on top of the flour.
• Before mixing together, peel and chop the last banana into 1/2″ chunks and add on top of the dry ingredients.
• Use a rubber spatula to fold the wet into the dry ingredients.

Bake

• Pour the batter over the pecan upside down mixture in the pan.
• Bake the cake on the middle rack in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes rotate the pan 180 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Once baked, remove the pan from the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Not longer!!
• After the 10 minutes have passed, place a serving plate or cutting board upside down over the pan.
• Holding on to both the pan (careful it’s hot) and the serving board, flip it over so the cake can fall out of the pan onto the board.
• Leave it to cool for at least 10 minutes or a few hours before cutting into 9 squares and serving.

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