Banana Coconut Upside Down Bundt Cake -

Banana Coconut Upside Down Bundt Cake

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: bananas, bundt cake, cake, coconut, upside down cake

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 40

Servings: slices

Calories: 359kcal

A soft, light coconut-vanilla cake with a luscious banana-coconut top layer makes this upside down bundt cake a perfect treat any time of day!

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Equipment

Ingredients

Banana Coconut Layer

½ cup unsalted butter
5 medium ripe bananas sliced 1 inch thick pieces
½ cup brown sugar packed
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup rum or gran marnier *Optional*

Coconut-Vanilla Cake

4 large egg whites room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (1 envelope) or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs yolks room temperature
½ cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅓ cup unsalted butter melted
¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Decor

1 Tablespoon powdered icing sugar

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Instructions

Banana Coconut Layer

In a large skillet, melt unsalted butter on medium-high heat. Add sliced bananas and swirl around in the skillet until coated with melted butter (don't stir as that will break apart banana slices). Add brown sugar, salt, shredded coconut and lemon juice. Continue to swirl bananas until everything is combined. At this point you can add rum or gran marnier (if you want to add alcohol) and cook bananas until it just starts to bubble, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Coconut-Vanilla Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, add egg whites and beat egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Add vanilla sugar (or extract), white sugar, salt and continue to whisk on high until stiff peaks form. Add 1 egg yolk and whisk until combined. Then add the next egg yolk until combined. Do this until all egg yolks are whisked in and continue to beat everything on high for another 2 minutes until meringue is a pale yellow.
In a medium bowl, combine all purpose flour, cornstarch and baking powder. Then on low speed, add a 1/4 cup of flour to meringue at a time until batter is well combined. Scrape down bowl in between additions if needed. Add shredded coconut and mix until just incorporated into batter. Lastly, pour in melted butter and mix until combined.
In an ungreased 9 inch Bundt cake pan, slowly pour in cooked bananas in an even layer (swirl your pan to spread bananas if needed). Then, carefully pour or scoop in cake batter to cover the banana layer evenly. Spread batter surface with spatula if needed but be careful not to mix it with the bottom layer.
Place pan on middle oven rack and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Let cake rest for 10 minutes. Then use a silicone spatula to loosen cake around the sides. Place a 10 or 12 inch plate or platter over cake pan. Flip cake over and remove pan from cake. Allow cake to cool for another 5 to 10 minutes.
When ready to serve, with a small mesh strainer, add 1 Tbsp. powdered icing sugar and dust all over cake. Serve while warm.

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Notes

How can I tell if my bananas are ripe?

Bananas are normally ripe by checking the following:

- peel is thin and easy to peel

- brown spots

- sweet banana smell is strong

- tastes sweeter than an unripe banana

- soft to squeeze

Should I use sweet or unsweetened shredded coconut?

The choice is yours. I prefer mine unsweetened since I enjoy less-sweet desserts. Be sure to use dried, shredded coconut.

Is Rum needed?

Alcohol adds a nice depth of flavour to desserts but is completely optional. For my recipe, you can add Rum or Gran Marnier for a little extra kick of flavour. Omit it if you're keeping this dessert kid friendly or add Rum extract instead.

Can I use a regular round 9" cake pan instead of a bundt cake pan?

Yes you can. Do not grease your bundt cake or round cake pan. This will give your cake a chance to rise a little higher while baking. Don't use a cake pan larger than 9" since that creates a larger surface area and will result in a thinner, less moist cake.

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