Bananas Foster Meets Upside-Down Cake!

I found this recipe while thumbing through a recent newspaper insert. I love bananas and this recipe is adapted from the rich New Orleans dessert of flaming bananas served with vanilla ice cream.

Visitors to "The Mixing Bowl" may remember when I made the actual dessert of Bananas Foster. That was so enjoyable that I knew this cake was to be just as good and it did not disappoint!

The recipe can be found in the book "Burger Parties" by James McNair and Jeffrey Starr.

First step is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9" round cake pan and set aside.

Combine, in a saucepan, 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/2 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar, 1/4 cup dark rum and 3/4 teas. cinnamon. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter and sugar are melted, about 3 minute. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

Arrange enough banana slices to fit, snugly, in one layer over the sugar/butter mixture. About 2-1/2 cups of 1/4" sliced bananas.

In a separate bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1-1/2 teas. baking powder and 1/2 teas. salt, whisk together. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together 1 stick of softened unsalted butter and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar on medium speed, for about 5 minutes. Add 2 eggs and 1 teas. of pure vanilla extract, mix until well combined. On low-speed, add about 1/3 the flour mixture, then 1/4 cup of milk, another 1/3 of the flour, another 1/4 cup of milk, the remaining flour. Mix until combined after each addition. Do not over mix! Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan (scraping the bowl well) and spread evenly over the bananas.

Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for about 2 minutes.

Run a paring knife around the inside on the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert the cake onto a wide serving plate, and lift off the pan, the sauce should run down the sides of the cake.

Cut into wedges and serve with scoops of the best vanilla ice cream! Serve this at your next barbecue or if you're just feeling like you need a lift!