Caramelised Banana and Spiced Whiskey Upside-down Cake
Photography Josh Griggs.
Combining bananas, whiskey and brown sugar with warm spices makes a fantastic afternoon tea or dessert cake.
Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
BASE
60 grams butter, diced
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup whiskey
5 small firm but ripe bananas
CAKE
1 cup mashed over-ripe bananas (about 3)
2 large eggs
½ cup rice bran oil
½ cup each brown sugar and caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon each ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger
½ teaspoon sea salt
TO SERVE
whipped cream
EQUIPMENT: Grease a 22cm square x 6cm-deep cake tin.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
BASE: Put the butter, sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the whiskey and boil gently for 4 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then tip into the base of the tin.
Slice the bananas lengthways and place cut side down in the tin, trimming them to fit and cover the base. Set aside.
CAKE: Whisk the bananas, eggs, oil, both sugars and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add the combined flour, baking powder, spices and salt and whisk until well combined. Gently spoon the batter over the bananas and smooth the top.
Bake for 40 minutes until puffed and golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the inside of the tin. Invert the cake onto a serving plate with a small rim and replace any bananas that might be stuck on the base along with any caramel.
Serve warm or at room temperature with lashings of cream.
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