Banana Upside Down Cake {With Cake Mix}

Quick, easy caramelized banana upside down cake recipe, homemade with simple ingredients. Starts off with yellow cake mix. Topped with caramel sauce and ripe bananas.

This tasty recipe was inspired by the classic Homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake. With this new recipe, however, you can reduce waste and use up those ripe bananas sitting on your counter. You can also check out these Easy Ripe Banana Recipes (Banana Desserts) for more sweet ways to use up those old bananas!

Jump to:

• How to make caramelized banana upside down cake recipe with cake mix?
• Cake toppings
• Variations for upside down banana caramel cake
• Tips and Techniques
• Storage
• More banana desserts
• Recipe

How to make caramelized banana upside down cake recipe with cake mix?

1. Make caramelized banana topping- And pour in greased baking pan.
2. Add bananas- As a single layer on top of the caramel.
3. Make cake batter- By mixing together eggs, butter, water, cake mix.
4. Pour batter- On top of bananas.
5. Bake- Until an inserted toothpick in the center comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven- And run a knife along the edge of pan.
7. Flip the cake over- And let it cool to room temperature.
8. Enjoy- With topping of your choice.

Cake toppings

• Besides the yummy caramel sauce, you can also try a variety of these toppings:
• Syrups and sauces- Such as caramel sauce, Dulce De Leche or Nutella Syrup or even Easy Chocolate Ganache (You can also switch out the regular chocolate to make white chocolate ganache).
• Whipped cream- Can be a dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream
• Ice cream- A scoop of vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream is delicious.
• Pudding- Try cheesecake pudding, Homemade Vanilla Pudding or even Homemade Banana Pudding.
• Nuts- Such as such as roughly chopped walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans
• Coconut- Shredded and sweetened is best.
• Dried fruits- Such as dried cranberries, cherries, raisins, mangoes.
• Chocolate chips- Mini size is ideal. This can also be replaced with shredded white chocolate, chocolate curls or roughly chopped chocolate bars.
• Frosting- Such as German Chocolate Cake Frosting (Coconut Pecan Frosting) or Caramel Frosting.

Variations for upside down banana caramel cake

• Spice it up- Add cinnamon or nutmeg to your liking.
• Make it nutty- Bananas and nuts are often a favorite pairing. Add your favorite chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, to the batter.
• Try another cake mix flavor- Although this strays from the classic version, you could also try chocolate cake mix instead of yellow mix. Chocolate chips can also be added to the batter.
• Bananas foster upside down cake- It is similar to this recipe. However, the topping is slightly different with a delicious rum butter sauce.
• Try other fruits- Such as pears, apples, or cranberries instead of bananas.
• Use a large iron skillet- Instead of the typical cake pan to add subtle crispiness along the edges.
• Make it vegan- Use coconut oil instead of butter and dairy-free cake mix.
• Instead of using brown sugar- You can swap it out for coconut sugar.
• Try other extracts Try almond or maple extract.

Tips and Techniques

• Use unsalted butter- Because it prevents this cake from becoming too salty.
• You may need more bananas- This depends on the size of the bananas. If you have small bananas, you will require more to cover the pan, whereas large bananas will require less.
• Don’t use really ripe bananas- Because they are too soft. They should be ripe but firm with very few black spots on the skin.
• Grease pan- Because otherwise the cake will stick and be hard to remove from the pan which can make a mess.
• Remove cake from pan within 10 minutes after baking- This is very important or else the cake will stick inside and settle in, making it less presentable. There is also a high likelihood the cake will not come out of the pan properly and will break apart.
• Cut bananas lengthwise- I cut them into circles but this will create a slightly different look and display.
• Don't over-mix cake batter- Because that can make the cake very glutonous and rubbery.

Storage

• Refrigerator- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container for up to 3 days. 
• Freezer- Place in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw before serving. You can slice into pieces before storing in the freezer for easier thawing.

More banana desserts

• Chocolate Banana Bread (With Cake Mix)
• Banana Muffins (Soft and Moist)
• Easy Banana Crumble
• Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe