Banana Upside-Down Cake

I’ve always been a fan of upside-down cakes. Mostly on account of all that caramel, but I admit the grown-up me appreciates that an upside down cake has no need for frosting – it looks fantastic straight out of the pan. And if some of the pieces of fruit stick, you can easily ply them off with your fingers and put them back where they belong. Traditionally, pineapple and peaches have made their mark in upside-down cakes. But why not bananas? This cake reminds me of the bananas sauteed with butter and brown sugar that my grandad used to eat over vanilla ice cream. This cake makes great use of over-ripe bananas, when you can’t face another loaf. But you need not wait for ripe bananas, either. It’s made with a basic, dense white cake batter, but try it with whatever batter you like – chocolate would be pretty fab – enough for a single layer, or double the topping and bake two.

If at all possible, serve this cake warm, with vanilla ice cream.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter an 8″ or 9″ round or 8″ square cake pan. Put the butter into the pan and put it into the oven as it heats; once melted pull it out and stir in the brown sugar. Slice the bananas and lay them over the bottom.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

By hand or with the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing each time until just combined.

Spread the batter into the pan, over the bananas. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Let cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack or plate, or eat warm, straight from the pan.

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Espresso and Cream: Heathier Recipe 1: Banana Muffins

Upon first looking at the original recipe, I noticed a few things. First, it contained sour cream; great for adding moisture and flavor but not so hot nutritionally. Second, they were made with all-purpose flour. Not the end of the world but something that could benefit from a healthy face lift. There was also a full stick of butter in these muffins and a hefty dose of sugar. So what's a girl to do? For starters, I stirred in vanilla yogurt for the sour cream to cut down on fat and calories and used a combination of whole wheat and all purpose flour for a dose of whole grains and fiber. I also cut back on the amount of sugar used, since I find most recipes are a little heavy on the sweetness. And I cut back on the butter by a few tablespoons and used a little unsweetened applesauce in its place.

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