Bananas Foster Poundcake Recipes

BANANAS FOSTER POUNDCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees and generously coat a 10-inch/12-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Make the bananas Foster filling: Peel the bananas and cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Melt butter in a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon, then add the sliced bananas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a sugary syrup forms, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Turn off the flame (or if using an electric stove, pull the skillet off the heat) and add the liquor, if using. Return pan to the heat and, if using a gas stove, slightly tilt the pan near the flame to flambé. (If using an electric stove, light the liquid with a long-reach lighter.) Let the flames die down, swirling the pan until the alcohol burns off. Reduce heat to low and stir briefly with a wooden spoon. (Alternatively, skip adding the alcohol, add buttermilk and cook sauce just until the liquid reduces slightly.) Strain liquid from bananas into a medium bowl to separate bananas and sauce; set both aside.
• Make the cake: In a stand mixer or with a hand-held mixer on medium speed, cream together granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Sift the flour into a medium bowl. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the sour cream and buttermilk.
• Once the butter is creamed, add 1 egg at a time and mix until each is fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add half the flour and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. With the mixer running, add the buttermilk mixture in a slow, steady stream and mix until fully incorporated. Add the remaining flour and mix.
• Once fully combined, add the vanilla and mix to incorporate. By hand, fold in strained bananas.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly. Bake for 65 to 80 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.
• While the cake cools, prepare the glaze: Sift the confectioners' sugar into the bowl with the reserved banana sauce and whisk to combine. If the glaze is too thick, thin with water (or buttermilk), 1 tablespoon at a time, until it's smooth, drizzles easily and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
• Once cake has cooled, invert it onto a large serving plate, and spoon the glaze over. Slice the cake and serve with ice cream or whipped cream and candied pralines, if desired.

UPSIDE-DOWN BANANAS FOSTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter just the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.
• For the caramel topping: Stir the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, and gently swirl the saucepan occasionally until the mixture is the color of deep amber, 8 to 9 minutes. If needed, brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully whisk in the butter (take care: the mixture can bubble up considerably). Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan, tilting the pan to cover most of the bottom (be careful: the pan will be very hot from the caramel). Arrange the bananas in a single, tight layer, then cover any gaps with the remaining slices.
• For the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the milk and sour cream in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as needed, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk-sour cream mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
• Pour the batter over the bananas in the cake pan, and spread evenly. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and bounces back when pressed and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan. Poke the cake all over with a skewer, and brush the cake with the rum. Let cool in the pan on a rack until just cool enough to handle, 20 to 30 minutes. Invert a serving platter over the cake pan and, while holding them together, quickly flip them over so the cake unmolds, banana-side up. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges, and serve.

BANANAS FOSTER II

Steps:

• In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in sugar, rum, vanilla and cinnamon. When mixture begins to bubble, place bananas and walnuts in pan. Cook until bananas are hot, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve at once over vanilla ice cream.

BANANAS FOSTER CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Position a rack in the center of the oven. Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Combine flour, pecans, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix well. Press mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool; leave oven on.
• Beat cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar, then cornstarch. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Add pureed bananas, sour cream, lemon juice, rum, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until just combined. Pour filling over the crust.
• Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan; add enough water to come halfway up the sides.
• Bake in the hot oven until center of cake is just set, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake inside until cooled to room temperature, about 2 hours. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, until well chilled, about 1 hour. Cover pan and return to the refrigerator, 8 hours to overnight.
• Cut carefully around edges of the cheesecake to loosen; remove pan sides. Transfer cheesecake to a platter.
• Warm caramel sauce in a small pan over low heat, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Mix in rum.
• Decorate the top of the cake with whipped topping and sprinkle with some pecans. Coat banana slices in lemon juice and let dry slightly. Arrange banana slices around the edge of the cake. Drizzle caramel sauce decoratively on top. Serve any leftover sauce on the side for drizzling individual slices.

BANANAS FOSTER CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: preheat oven to 350°; beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
• Stir in the mashed bananas and vanilla.
• Pour batter into 3 (8 inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray for baking.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
• Run a sharp knife around edges of pan; cool cake layers in pans of wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).
• Meanwhile, prepare glaze: bring brown sugar, corn syrup, and 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly.
• Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute or until sugar dissolves; stir in butter, rum, and cinnamon.
• Frosting: beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth; stir in milk and vanilla.
• Pierce cake layers with a wooden pick; drizzle with Brown Sugar Rum Glaze; let stand for at least 10 minutes.
• Spread 1/4 cup frosting on 1 cake layer; arrange half of banana slices over frosting.
• Repeat procedures with a second cake layer, 1/4 cup frosting, and remaining half of banana slices.
• Top with third cake layer; frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
• Garnish, if desired.

BANANAS FOSTER CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F Butter/flour three 9-inch cake pans. Sift flour, soda, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Peel bananas and mash with a fork, set aside. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl thoroughly between each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Add in 1/3 of flour just until combined. Add 1/2 of sour cream just until combined. Repeat with 1/2 of remaining flour, then remaining sour cream, ending with flour. Beat in bananas. Divide batter evenly between pans and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cakes on a rack for 20 minutes before removing from pans.
• Pastry Cream: Heat half-and-half, 3 tablespoons sugar, and salt in small heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until simmering, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
• Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisk in remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and whisk until sugar has begun to dissolve and mixture is creamy, about 15 seconds. Whisk in cornstarch until combined and mixture is pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
• When half-and-half mixture reaches full simmer, gradually whisk simmering half-and-half into yolk mixture to temper. Return mixture to saucepan, scraping bowl with rubber spatula; return to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until 3 or 4 bubbles burst on surface and mixture is thickened and glossy, about 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla. Transfer mixture to medium bowl, press plastic wrap directly on surface, and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 3 hours or up to 48 hours.
• Buttercream: Whisk egg whites and sugar together thoroughly in a heat proof bowl. Set bowl over a pot of boiling water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until sugar has dissolved and mixture is just too hot to dip your finger inches (Careful not to scramble the eggs!) Pour into bowl of a standing mixer and beat on high speed to make a stiff meringue (this is a swiss meringue). Continue beating on slow speed until cooled to room temp, about 10 minutes. Gradually beat in butter a few cubes at a time until all is incorporated. Beat in vanilla and rum. You can refrigerate this for up to 10 days or freeze up to a month. Bring to room temp and whisk before using.
• Caramel Sauce: In a small to medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over medium heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, increase heat to high, cover and bring to a full boil. (The steam will wash the sides of the pan to remove any sugar crystals.) After a minute or so, remove the lid and cook without stirring until it begins to turn a golden brown around the edges (it should take 5 to 10 minutes depending on the size of your pan). In the meantime, heat the cream until it begins to simmer. Set aside for a moment. As soon as you start to see the sugar syrup turn golden, carefully swirl the pan to redistribute the caramel. (Do not stir! The sugar will crystallize.) A few moments longer is all it will take -- just until it is an even golden color. Now, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the cream while stirring with a long-handled wooden spoon. It will bubble up furiously, so be careful not to let it overflow. Stop for a second and let it die down if necessary. Keep stirring until the mixture is smooth. Stir in salt and let cool to room temperature.
• Assembly: Spread cold pastry cream between cake layers. Ice sides and top with buttercream. Pipe a decorative border around the top edge of the cake to create a dam for the caramel. If the caramel has cooled too much to pour, warm it just until it's more fluid, but not warm enough to melt the buttercream. Pour an even layer of caramel onto the top of the cake. Save the rest for serving along side or over ice cream, or eat it with a spoon -- it's amazing!
• Decorate the cake however you like -- I use sliced bananas dipped in lemon juice and candied walnuts.

BANANA UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the topping: In an oven-safe 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, and whisk until the brown sugar melts, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Let cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to smell like caramel and darkens slightly, about 1 minute longer. (Don't walk away, or the mixture may burn.) The mixture will clump and separate, but that's OK.
• Add bananas and nuts, gently tossing to coat with the caramel. Remove from heat and arrange fruit into an even layer on bottom of skillet. Ignore any sugar clumps; they will dissolve during baking.
• Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream and whisk until well mixed. Sprinkle in baking powder, salt and baking soda into the batter, one at a time, and whisking vigorously after each addition.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until just incorporated. The mixture will be lumpy, but that's OK. Don't overmix. Scrape batter into the skillet over the fruit and spread evenly.
• Bake until surface is deeply browned all over (with darker brown edges) and the fruit is lightly bubbling around the sides of the skillet, about 35 to 45 minutes, rotating halfway through. A toothpick inserted into cake will come out clean.
• Once the cake is out of the oven, immediately run a butter knife or offset spatula around the edge of the skillet. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly. Carefully invert cake into serving platter. If some fruit or nuts stick to bottom of skillet, gently remove them using an offset spatula or knife and place them back onto cake. Let the cake cool until the fruit topping sets, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, before serving. Cake is best served on the day it is baked.