What more can I say, this Banana Upside Down Cake from an October 1992 issue of Bon Appetit is one of the best desserts I have ever made. The batter reminds you of a banana bread but the cake is surprisingly light and moist. The brown sugar and butter glaze seeps down into the crevices of the cake giving you a syrupy layer of sweetened goodness. I made this in my 10 inch dutch oven and baked it with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and started off with 20 coals on top. After 10 minutes I removed about 8 coals on the lid and moved the rest to a ring around the outside. Keep an eye on it as it will brown quickly. It was firm to the touch in the center in 35 minutes. Let it rest for 20 minutes before inverting onto a platter. If you like bananas, you must try this unbelievable cake. Out of this world and easy to make, it's the ultimate dutch oven dessert.
Banana Upside Down Cake
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2-3 large ripe bananas, sliced
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening or butter
2 eggs
Lightly oil or spray a 10 inch dutch oven. Line with parchment paper.
Sprinkle brown sugar evenly in bottom of oven. Pour over 6 Tblsp melted butter.
Arrange banana slices atop brown sugar mixture, covering completely.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
Mix mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla in another small bowl.
Using electric mixer, cream 1 1/4 cups sugar and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add dry ingredients alternatively with buttermilk mixture, mixing until just combined.
Pour batter over bananas in dutch oven.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
Let cool in dutch oven for 20 minutes before inverting onto plate.
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Arrange banana slices over brown sugar and melted butter    |
I added about a pound of semi sweet chocolate chips. Not only was it even more awesome but won the dutch oven cook-off at summer camp for my troop
ReplyDeleteSo, I actually did 1.5x this recipe for a 12” Dutch oven for my Boy Scout troop. Followed the recipe almost exactly except put all the wet ingredients in one ziplock and the dry in another. They boys devoured it!! 5 stars for sure.
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