Serves6 to 8
- Active time:30 min
- Start to finish:2 hr (includes cooling)
November 2008
Bananas, brown sugar, and rum have a natural affinity for each other (think of their shared tropical background), so it’s no surprise that they make a wonderful crown for this homespun dessert. The spicy rum flavors of the topping are echoed in the cake itself, making the whole production darker and more interesting than your usual pineapple upside-down affair. Be sure to use just-ripe bananas for this recipe; if you use overly ripe ones, they will dissolve into the cake.
For topping
-
3/4
stick unsalted butter
-
3/4
cup
packed light brown sugar
-
2
tablespoons
dark rum
-
3
large just-ripe bananas, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
For batter
-
1 3/4
cups
all-purpose flour
-
2
teaspoons
baking powder
-
1/2
teaspoon
cinnamon
-
1/2
teaspoon
grated nutmeg
-
1/4
teaspoon
salt
-
3/4
stick unsalted butter, softened
-
3/4
cup
granulated sugar
-
2
large eggs
-
1
tablespoon
dark rum
-
1/2
teaspoon
pure vanilla extract
-
3/4
cup
whole milk
-
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
-
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, then stir in brown sugar, rum, and a pinch of salt and simmer, stirring, 4 minutes. Remove from heat and arrange bananas on top of sugar mixture in concentric circles, fitting in as many pieces as possible.
-
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in rum and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour, mixing until just incorporated.
-
Spoon batter over bananas, smoothing top, and bake until top is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
-
Let cake stand in skillet 5 minutes. Invert a plate over skillet and invert cake onto plate (keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together). Replace any banana stuck to bottom of skillet.
-
Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature.
