I am always looking for different uses for ripe bananas, as I’m sure most people are. It always seems to be something we have on hand and, at some point, I’ve measured and frozen enough puree for my future banana cake needs and am simply not interested in storing more. There are so many uses for bananas, though, so here is one more dessert for your consideration.
Bananas Foster is one of those desserts you come across in old steak houses and restaurants of a bygone era. It’s a tableside dessert made with bananas, brown sugar, rum and other wonderful ingredients which are cooked up in front of your eyes, set aflame to partially burn off the alcohol and then served over ice cream. I was always a Cherries Jubilee person myself, when given the choice of tableside desserts, but the flavors of brown sugar and rum, in general, will always be a favorite combination of mine.
The use of rum in this cake and glaze may give you pause at using it on your breakfast or brunch buffet; however, there are many who appreciate a mimosa or Bloody Mary at Sunday brunch and this cake would fit in well on their table. You could always serve it for dessert later in the day, however.
Bananas Foster Coffee Cake with Rum Glaze
Ingredients
Browned Butter Base
- 1 cup salted butter
- 2 Tbsp. dark or spiced rum (I use Sailor Jerry, but Myers Dark is great, too)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon (Vietnamese cinnamon is wonderful)
Banana Filling
- 1/2 cup Browned Butter Base (or whatever was left over from what was divided away for the cake)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1/16 tsp. sea salt (dash, or to taste)
- 1 large banana, ripe (thinly sliced)
Banana Cake
- 1/2 cup Browned Butter Base (cooled and firm)
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups mashed banana, very ripe/overripe (about 3 medium to large bananas)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (12.50 oz. as weighed)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Rum Glaze
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered/icing sugar
- 2 Tbsp. dark or spiced rum
Instructions
Browned Butter Base
- Over Medium heat in a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to a soft simmer, whisking almost constantly. As it bubbles and foams, watch carefully for the color to change to a light golden brown color. You should be able to smell it just as it turns color. Remove the pan from the heat immediately so as not to let it get too dark.
- Add in the rum, vanilla, and cinnamon and whisk to blend. The hot butter will foam up quite a bit when the liquids are added. When completely mixed and while the cinnamon is still suspended, immediately measure out 1/2 cup of this mixture and pour it into a large bowl; this will be used in the cake batter. Set this aside on the counter to cool until firm. Put the remainder of the browned butter base (about 1/2 cup) into a medium-sized bowl and set it aside to cool down and firm up, also; this will be used in the Banana Filling. You can refrigerate these to speed things up, if you like.
Banana Filling
- When browned butter base has firmed up, add the brown sugar and salt and use an electric hand mixer to blend together for a couple of minutes. Slice the banana very thinly and add it to the bowl.
- Fold the banana slices over and over into the mixture with a spatula until the slices have broken up a bit. Set it aside while you make the Banana Cake batter.
Banana Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 10" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. You could also use a standard bundt cake pan, in which case you would butter and flour the pan.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or by using an electric hand mixer, cream the 1/2 cup browned butter base with sugars for 3 minutes, until fluffy; add the eggs and mix until combined. Add the bananas and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; pour in the heavy whipping cream, then mix it all together on Low just until incorporated. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and spoon the Banana Filling over the top of the batter.
- Use a knife to swirl and lightly fold the filling partway into the batter. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking another 10 minutes or so, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool while you make the glaze.
Rum Glaze
- In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the brown sugar, butter and whipping cream to a boil over Medium heat. Whisking constantly, set your timer for 1 minute just when it starts to boil. When the timer goes off, remove it from heat immediately and whisk in the powdered sugar, which should be sifted into the pan through a sieve to remove lumps.
- Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then add the rum and stir until it's thickly pourable, but not too thick. Drizzle over the cooled cake. You'll likely have glaze left over.
