Banana

Miso & Banana Upside-Down Cake

by:
March 14, 2023
4
8 Ratings
Miso & Banana Upside-Down Cake
Photo by Michelle Rabin
  • Prep time 25 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

If you haven’t met my Miso & Banana Upside-Down Cake, which went viral with the help of Instagram and TikTok, let me introduce you: Sweet, caramelized bananas top a moist cake that’s made with mashed, overripe bananas in the batter. Like so many upside-down cakes before it, this one features caramel made from butter and brown sugar—but unlike those other cakes, the caramel in this one gets a hit of shiro (white) miso that gives it a smack of rich umami. —Michelle Rabin

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons shiro (white) miso
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 ripe but still firm bananas, cut in half lengthwise
  • 3 overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan with parchment, then set aside.
  2. Heat a medium pan over medium, add butter and melt, about 1 minute, making sure it doesn’t brown. Once butter is melted, add miso and brown sugar and whisk to combine. Cook until thick and viscous, about 2 minutes.
  3. Pour the caramel into the bottom of the cake pan and swirl it around to coat the surface evenly, using a spatula as needed. Arrange the halved bananas cut-side down.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix the sour cream, overripe bananas, vanilla, and baking soda.
  5. Using an electric mixer, cream the eggs with granulated sugar in a separate bowl until pale yellow. Slowly stream in the oil and continue to mix until combined.
  6. Add the banana mixture to the creamed eggs and stir to combine. Add the flour and salt, then fold gently using a spatula to incorporate.
  7. Pour batter over the caramel and cut bananas, then transfer to oven. Bake until cooked through, about 60 minutes.
  8. Remove cake from oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. If the parchment slides out with the cake, simply peel it off immediately after it’s flipped.
  9. Let rest for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
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  • Krispyecca
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    Michelle Rabin
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  • Anne
    Anne
Michelle Rabin
Michelle Rabin is a Toronto based food stylist, recipe developer and culinary producer. She is best known for being the deadpan sidekick on Matty Matheson’s hit YouTube Show “Just a Dash." You can check out her own mini cooking series called “Is this a thing?” on her Instagram account, @michellerabin. When she’s not in the kitchen, a very rare occurrence, she is running or making crafts.

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11 Reviews

Shorrin
Shorrin October 12, 2024
Absolutely delicious- great recipe as written.
 
Anne
Anne April 9, 2023
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janchristensenheller
janchristensenheller March 25, 2023
The photo would lead you to use a round 8"cake pan however there is too much batter, you need a rectangular pan. I did use a 9" round, still too much batter. The cake is delicious. Thanks.
 
annarochelle
annarochelle November 6, 2024
Try a round springform cake pan. The walls might be higher. That’s what I used and it all fit and came together wonderfully.
 
Terry
Terry March 24, 2023
Want to try this but agree with others. Please put measurements in for weight.
 
Krispyecca
Krispyecca March 22, 2023
I tried the miso caramel as written with 3 T miso, and I found it much too salty. I'm glad I tasted it before putting in the pan, or I may have had to dump an entire cake. I started over and used only 1 scant T of miso, which I thought was just right. Also, after reading the comments on pan sizes I made my cake in a 12" cast iron skillet. I have 8" cake pans, but they are not deep. In the 12" skillet the cake took about 45 min to bake. With these modifications, I would happily make this recipe again. The banana cake would also be nice by itself, or maybe with chocolate buttercream.
 
suecena
suecena March 18, 2023
There was way too much batter for an 8 inch pan. What size bananas? Very vague recipe. I’m wondering if you actually baked this cake.
 
Michelle R.
Michelle R. March 19, 2023
Hey Suecena, I'm curious why this recipe didn't work for you :( Lots of people have told me they've had great success! How tall are the walls of your cake pan- mine are all minimum 2 1/2 inches. The bananas at the grocery store are all pretty much a standard size. I'd be happy to send the recipe in weights so that everything is a bit more accurate
 
W J.
W J. March 24, 2023
Yes. Yes. Yes. Please send the recipe in grams. I just wish that would become SOP at Food52 and elsewhere.
 
annarochelle
annarochelle November 6, 2024
I used an 8 inch springform cake pan and it worked out perfectly. The walls of the springform pan come up maybe 4 or 5 inches.
 
aandr
aandr March 14, 2023
Politely requesting metric measurements for F52 recipes (especially when it's from a Canadian baker!). :(