Banana Upside Down Cake

This cake is the most glorious thing you can make with some spotted mushy bananas. I –well, more Fabien probably — will never forget when I came home one day, hysterical that in Fabien’s cleaning frenzy (thanks for always cleaning!!), he’d thrown away the “black freckle-y bananas that were attracting fruit flies.” I had made wonderful plans for those little guys. The bananas, not the flies. That was the moment I realized, whoa, I have very important bits of information to share with my partner now that I bake:

1) Never throw away old bananas; they are considered pure gold (to me).

2) Wait before tasting anything until pictures (from every angle) have been taken.

3) If photos have not been taken yet, eat the imperfect ones.

4) Know when to use a serrated knife when slicing.

5) Don’t put away the eggs/butter/cream cheese if they are on the counter, as they are in their “softening to room temperature” mode.

I’m clearly a pleasure to live with.

Most weeks we have a few ripe bananas on hand, and typically I make healthier bakes with them. Occasionally though, I just want something that definitely qualifies as dessert, that is not caught in an identity-limbo between breakfast and dessert. This cake is definitely a dessert. It is sweet, caramelized, and absolutely positively delicious. It’s more beautiful in real life, with its caramelized banana discs on display. And it’s the easiest thing on the planet to make. Literally stirring all the ingredients up, pouring the batter over the butter/sugar mixture and banana slices, and waiting for it to bake. And perhaps, if you’re like me, you can tell yourself it’s okay for breakfast, even though we all know the sugar content in this makes it a dessert. Enjoy!