Hawaiian Banana Up Side Down Cake

Max, here is a taste of Hawaii that anyone can enjoy here on the mainland. Think of Hawaiian flavors like bananas, ginger, sugar, and rum, and you have Hawaiian Banana Up Side Down Cake. Yes, Max, I can hear you now. “Erma, all this is a Pineapple Up Side Down Cake that uses Bananas.” And so it is, but the addition of rum and ginger to the basic yellow cake gives this a unique Island touch. Actually, this is a slightly updated recipe in a 1920’s pamphlet promoting bananas. There was a time when people didn’t know what to do with bananas. Obviously, they hadn’t tried Bananas Foster yet.

Hawaiian Banana Up Side Down Cake:

2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon rum
2 bananas, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
Red salad cherries, sliced in half
1 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup of milk
1/4 cup of soft butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9 x 1 1/2 inch round cake pan with foil, or use a Silicone 9 inch Round Cake Pan.

Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in the cake pan in the oven. Then sprinkle the brown sugar over the melted butter. Pour the rum on slowly, and swish the pan around so the rum covers all the brown sugar. Arrange the banana slices and the salad cherries in a decorative pattern on the brown sugar.

In a mixing bowl of the KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and ginger. Add the milk, 1/4 cup soft butter, the egg, and the vanilla. Beat for about 1 minute until all is smooth. Carefully spoon the cake mix over the bananas.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and invert the cake onto a plate. Serve warm.

Serves 8.