Martha Stewart's Pineapple-Banana Upside-Down Cake
Photo by Johnny Miller
- Serves
- 8 to 10
- Prep Time
- 35 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 Hour 15 Minutes
It’s unclear whom we have to thank for the caramelly goodness of upside-down cake, but cooking lore says that bakers have been flipping their cakes to reveal showstopping fruit toppings for centuries. In this version, a spiral of golden pineapple slices enhances a delicious banana cake.
Tip: When cutting a pineapple, begin by slicing off the top and bottom. Stand it on end and, slicing downward, cut the skin off in wide strips. With your knife, carve out the eyes. Then halve, core, and cut the fruit crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. —Martha Stewart
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, cored, and sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick pieces
- 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed until smooth (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Featured Video
Martha Stewart's Pineapple-Banana Upside-Down Cake
Reprinted with permission from Martha Stewart's Fruit Desserts. Copyright © 2021 by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, LPAll rights reserved. Published by Clarkson Potter an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Directions
- Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into a 9-inch round baking pan, swirling to evenly coat bottom. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. To create a flower motif: Arrange pineapple, with rounded edges facing outward, over brown sugar; overlap slices in concentric circle from the center out, to completely cover cake.
- Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Step 3
In a large bowl, whisk remaining 3/4 cup melted butter, the bananas, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Add flour mixture and stir to combine. Pour cake batter over pineapples, smoothing top with a small offset spatula.
- Step 4
Bake until top is deep golden and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pan, invert cake onto a plate, and let cool completely before serving.