Upside Down Caramel Banana Cake

Cook Time 1 hour

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

⅓ cup caster sugar

¼ cup thickened cream

60g butter

4 ripe bananas, halved lengthways

Cake

250g unsalted butter, cubed and brought to room temperature 

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean extract

½ tsp cinnamon 

4 eggs

1¾ cups self-raising flour

¼ cup almond meal

3 tbsp milk

Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C and grease and line a 24 cm round cake tin with baking paper. Place bananas around the pan, trimming to fit, forming a snug flower pattern.

Place a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add sugar and melt into a golden-brown toffee, swirling to avoid crystallisation. Now add the cream and whisk for a minute before adding the butter. Whisk for 3-4 minutes until velvety. Pour over the bananas and set aside.

For the cake, cream the unsalted butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean extract, salt and cinnamon, and with the mixer still going, add one egg at a time, beating well between each addition. Combine the flour and almond meal before folding through the butter mixture. Add the milk and combine.

Dollop the batter over the bananas and bake for 40–45 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before flipping it onto a serving plate.