Banana Upside Down Cake in a Frying Pan, a super easy and utterly delicious cake recipe with no oven needed at all. This no bake dessert is cooked in a frying pan or skillet on the stove top with just a handful of ingredients.
There are many no bake cake recipes out there that are made without an oven, but they are usually cheesecakes or truffles, or cakes that do not have a sponge. But this upside down banana cake has a delicious sponge that is cooked entirely on the stove top.
The caramel and banana topping makes it heavenly flavourful, white the vanilla sponge is moist, light and so scrumptious. It's the perfect cake recipe for total beginners who are not as confident about using an oven just yet.
It is also a great dessert to make for Valentine's Day if you want to impress your better half with a sweet treat, but you want to make something quick, easy and yummy without too much hassle.
Particularly great in summer time too, when it's too hot to have the oven on and sweat your soul out in a scorching hot kitchen. Or, at busy times when we have to juggle several dishes without worrying about one more to go in the oven.
All in all, it's a wonderful dessert that anyone can be in 2 shakes of a lamb's tail. Do give it a go!
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Ingredients needed to make a cake in a frying pan
- bananas - I used 2 medium bananas, well ripe
- butter - both salted and unsalted work
- self-raising flour - if you use plain flour, add a teaspoon of baking powder
- egg - at room temperature
- vanilla extract - or any other extract of your choice
- milk - I used full-fat milk, semi-skimmed also ok
- brown sugar - for the caramel sauce
- caster sugar - for sweetening the sponge
Variations
You can also use vaster or granulated sugar together with the butter to make the caramel, if you don't have brown sugar, but it will take longer for the sugar to caramelize.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- In a non-stick frying pan set over a low heat, add the butter and allow it to melt
- Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar, and stir
- Leave it to simmer for 1-2 minutes for the mixture to caramelise
- To make the batter, add the egg to a mixing bowl, and use a whisk to beat it well
- Add the white sugar and beat again to get a pale yellow colour - you can also use a whisk if it's easier
- Pour in the milk and vanilla extract, and mix again
- Sift in the flour, and use a spatula to combine all the ingredients - the batter is pretty thin, and easy to pour
- Once the batter is ready, peel and slice the bananas in 3, and arrange each slice in the pan over the caramel
- Pour over the batter, place a lid on the pan, and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes or until bubbles start forming on the top like an American pancake and the top is no longer uncooked
- Remove the lid from the pan, brush melted butter over a large plate, then place it over the frying pan
- Turn the cake upside down on the plate, then gently slide it it back in the frying pan for the top to brown too - leave it to cook for a further 1-2 minute
- Remove it from the pan and leave it to cool completely
Expert tips
Using a non-stick pan is crucial for the recipe to work well. If the cake sticks to it, it will be impossible to remove it easily, and we will end up with a big mess.
Do not increase the heat, as a higher heat will cook the cake too quickly at the bottom, while the top is still uncooked.
Having the lid on ensures an even cooking, as the steam cooks it all around - I highly recommend using one. If the pan you have doesn't come with a lid, simply place some kitchen foil on top of the pan to cover it well.
Other upside down recipes
While this recipe is made in a frying pan, it can actually be baked in the oven too. My other recipes are all baked, but could, very well, be cooked in a pan too.
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Banana Upside Down Cake in a Frying Pan
Equipment
- 1 non-stick frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 medium bananas, ripe
- 25 g butter
- 3 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 50 g caster sugar
- 125 ml full-fat milk
- 125 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a frying pan set over a low heat, melt the butter, add the brown sugar, and give it a stir.
- Leave it to simmer for 2 minutes.
- To make the batter, crack the egg in a mixing bowl, and use a whisk to beat it well.
- Add the caster sugar to the egg, and beat well again to get a pale yellow colour.
- Pour in the milk and vanilla extract, and mix.
- Sift in the flour, and use a spatula to combine all the ingredients well to get a thin batter.
- Peel and slice the bananas in 3 slices vertically.
- Arrange the banana slices in the pan over the caramel, then pour over the batter, spreading it evenly.
- Place a lid on the pan, and leave it to cook for 15 minutes until bubbles start forming on the top like with an American pancake.
- Brush a large plate with a bit of melted butter, then remove the lid, and place the plate over the pan.
- Quickly turn the pan so that the bottom of the cake in on the plate.
- Carefully slide the cake back in the pan, so that the bottom of the cake can brown lightly too - leave it too cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, and leave the cake to cool down completely.
Video
Notes
- Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
- The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
- Using a non-stick pan is crucial for the recipe to work well. If the cake sticks to it, it will be impossible to remove it easily, and we will end up with a big mess.
- Do not increase the heat, as a higher heat will cook the cake too quickly at the bottom, while the top is still uncooked.
- Having the lid on ensures an even cooking, as the steam cooks it all around - I highly recommend using one. If the pan you have doesn't come with a lid, simply place some kitchen foil on top of the pan to cover it well.
Nutrition
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Aussie says
Yum!