What kind of bananas should I use?

Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best flavor and natural sweetness.

Can I make this cake ahead of time?

Yes. The cake can be baked 1 day in advance and stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Upside-down cakes need generous greasing. Let the cake cool slightly before flipping and consider lining the pan with parchment paper.

A metal cake pan works best for even baking and proper caramelization.

Insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s ready.

This can happen if the batter is over-mixed or the cake is flipped too soon.

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5 from 1 review

Perfectly-spiced banana cake with sweet, caramelized banana topping.

Scale

For the Cake

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 bananas)

1/2 cup nondairy yogurt*

1/2 cup nondairy milk

1/2 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

For the Topping

2 Bananas (sliced length-wise into 3 sections each)

1/3 cup vegan butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Prep: Preheat oven for 350 degrees F (175 C) and lightly grease a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix: Mash the banana in a large bowl until smooth. Add the nondairy yogurt, nondairy milk, canola oil and vanilla extract to the bowl and whisk. Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices to the bowl and mix until everything is well distributed. Add the sugar and flour to the batter and mix until just-combined. Do not over-mix.
Melt: Combine vegan butter and light brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low on the stove, whisking continuously. Continue heating until a caramel-like, sugary sauce comes together. This should only take about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Bake: Arrange sliced bananas in prepared 9x9 pan, cut side down. Pour melted sugar mixture over the top of the bananas as evenly as possible. Pour prepared cake batter on top of everything and smooth out with an offset spatula, taking care not to disturb the layers. Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 36-42 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Invert: Remove from oven and allow cake to cool for 15 minutes. To invert the cake, quickly and carefully flip over onto a serving plate. Cake should release from the pan easily. Allow cake to cool for an additional 30 minutes prior to slicing.