Banana Caramel Cake
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Combining the best parts of banana bread and bundt cake, this Banana Caramel Cake is topped with our sultry Salted Caramel Sauce for an attractive dessert that’s simple to make.
Bananas are available year round in the grocery store, so they are often overshadowed by more seasonal fruits. We’re flipping that script and dubbing this Banana Caramel Cake a must-have Autumn dessert.
Why You’ll Love Banana Caramel Cake
- Bananas and caramel are delicious together. A totally under-rated combo.
- Bundt cakes are easy. No assembly, layers or fillings. The bundt pan acts like a guardrail that helps prevent under-baking
- The shape is stunning, sliceable and puts your topping in all the right places.
- Unlike pumpkin, apples and other fruits, bananas are available year round, so you can make this Banana Caramel Cake whenever you’d like.
Table of Contents
An Ode to Bundt Cakes
Bundt cakes look stunning on a serving platter thanks to the bundt pan. We love bundt pans because these stencil-simple cake forms ensure an even bake, plus every nook and cranny in the pan provides your cake topping (caramel drizzle in this case) with a decorative (and functional) place to live.
The channels formed by our spiral bundt pan are perfect here because each slice gets just the right amount of caramel topping, and any extra runs down into the center and outside of the cake to form a “drizzle halo” on the serving plate. (drooling yet?)
Using a bundt cake pan is the easiest way to achieve a stunning cake presentation WITHOUT all the hassle of leveling, layering, piping, or requiring ANY prior cake baking experience.
NordicWare makes our favorite bundt cake pans, like the Classic Pro Cast, the Jubilee, and the spiral pan that we’ve used here for this Banana Caramel Cake recipe. But they also have tons of other floral, geometric, and holiday designs to choose from. (*Not an ad, we’re just big fans)
The combination of bundt pan + simple sweet topping has served us well in the past, whether it’s the citrusy glaze of our Orange Cake, the brushed bourbon glaze on our Peach Bundt Cake, the creamy vanilla brown butter drip on our Pear Bundt Cake, or the luscious chocolate ganache on our Best Chocolate Bundt Cake. And the combo delivers here also as this Banana Caramel Cake is drizzled with our homemade caramel sauce.
Key Ingredients for Banana Caramel Cake
- Bananas – Very overly ripe bananas are the sweetest, and they’re getting mashed up anyways, so if your fruit bowl bananas are looking a little brownish, rejoice! Why waste those beauties on some healthy smoothie when you could bake this delicious cake instead?
- Dry Ingredients – Flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt give this cake its structure and foundation.
- Sugars – Banana caramel cake uses white AND brown sugars to incorporate the best of both.
- Wet Ingredients – Butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and buttermilk add moisture and richness.
- Salted Caramel Sauce – This silky homemade caramel sauce is not just a great topping (for everything) but it’s the perfect salty accent to the sweet banana cake. Our recipe makes enough so that you’ll have extra to jar and gift, drizzle on pancakes, or make these delicious Caramel Apple Cider Floats.
How To Make Banana Caramel Cake
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- In the mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium high speed until they are fluffy.
- One at a time mix in the eggs, the vanilla extract, and the bananas on low speed.
- Mix in the dry ingredients mixture and the buttermilk until smooth and well combined. (*See recipe below for more detailed instructions)
- Pour batter into a greased and floured large bundt pan and bake at 350 F for 40 minutes.
- Cover top of cake loosely with foil and bake another 20-25 minutes.
- Cool cake for 10-15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack to complete cooling.
- Drizzle generously with caramel sauce and enjoy!
Banana Bundt Cake For Parties
When served at a gathering or holiday party, this banana caramel bundt cake really stands out with its golden brown color and rivers of drippy caramel sauce inviting every guest to take a slice.
You can easily dress it up for a more formal dessert presentation with a fancy cake platter, a decorative jar or gravy boat for the caramel sauce, and a few well-placed slices of fresh banana.
FAQS
Can I make banana cake ahead of time?
Definitely! This cake keeps very well for several days. Make the cake, allow to cool, then wrap tightly with saran wrap and store refrigerated or at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Add caramel sauce before serving.
Can banana cake be frozen?
Yes! Cool and wrap the cake tightly in a double layer of saran wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
Can I bake a bundt cake in a regular pan?
Yes. We usually use a 10-12 cup capacity bundt pan, which can be baked in 1 9 x 13 pan or 2 8 or 9 inch round pans. The cook time will be shorter in the smaller round pans and similar or slightly longer in the 9 x 13.
Tips for Turning Out a Bundt Cake
I know turning a bundt cake out can be intimidating, but there’s a few things you can do to make it easier. First, I always coat my pans with Baker’s Joy, which includes both grease and flour. A spray is easier to get into all the nooks and crevices of the pan.
Secondly, turn it out while the cake is still warm, but not just out of the oven. Give it 10-15 minutes to cool, then place a large plate or cooling rack on top of it, and use both hands to flip it over.
If it seems to be sticking, you can wiggle the pan slightly, or just leave it be and let gravity work for you.
If you’re still on the fence about whether to make this cake or not, here’s a helpful flowchart that should aid in your decision making.
Banana Caramel Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 large extra ripe bananas (smashed)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup caramel sauce (homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large bundt pan, or use a cooking spray that includes flour, like Baker’s Joy.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugars. Beat on medium high speed, scraping the bowl down occasionally, until the mixture is lighter in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add the bananas and beat on low until combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the mixer and beat on low. Add the buttermilk and beat again, scraping the bowl as needed. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low until just combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth and well combined, about 1 minute.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60-65 minutes, covering the top with foil at the 40 minute mark. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes, then loosen any edges and invert onto a cooling rack to complete cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Need More Cakes?
If you just can’t get enough cake, don’t miss our Ho Ho Cake, this tropically-inspired Pineapple Sunshine Cake, or our super moist Carrot Sheet Cake.
And for more great ways to put your bundt pans to use, start the day with our sweet Shortcut Caramel Monkey Bread, or this savory Breakfast Pull Apart Bread. For a fresh holiday treat, get jiggly with this classic vintage Sea Foam Salad. And for a great game day snack, nothing beats tearing off a piece of this Jalapeno Cheddar Pull Apart Bread!
That flow chart!!!! Too funny! This looks fabulous. I love the fancy patterns on the various bundt pans. They just make your dessert look extra elegant.