Banana Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake
serves 8
I’m a sucker for one-layer cakes - looking at a recipe for a simple cake like this says “effort taken” without saying “project undertaken.” If you’re toasting the hazelnuts, do that first, so that the nuts have time to cool while you make the rest of the cake.Read more about this recipe at hogwash.
Vegetable oil spray
1/4 packed cup brown sugar
3 bananas, peeled and sliced into 3/4” rounds
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup hazelnut, walnut, or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hazelnuts, very finely chopped
prep: 20 minutes
total: 1 hour
9" cake pan
large bowl
whisk
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9” cake pan with the vegetable oil spray. (I used a nonstick cake pan here, and the cake lifted out beautifully.) Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan, and arrange as many banana slices as you can, one flat side down, in the bottom of the pan, leaving about 1/4 inch between the bananas and the edge of the pan so the batter can go all the way to the edge of the pan. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until blended. Add the sour cream, oil, and rum, and mix again until combined. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and hazelnuts. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, and stir until all the flour has been incorporated. Pour half the batter over the bananas, and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly over the bananas and into the sides of the pan. Add the remaining batter and smooth the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes on the bottom rack, or until the cake is puffed, golden, and beginning to crack. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter, and serve warm.
