Description
Creamy banana pecan caramel cake brings Southern comfort to dessert tables. Rich layers meld sweet fruit, toasted nuts, and silky caramel for a memorable indulgence you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) buttermilk
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1 cup (120 grams) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
- 4 tbsps (60 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 tbsps heavy cream or milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and thoroughly grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan or two 9-inch circular pans to prevent adhesion.
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl until uniformly blended, creating a consistent dry foundation.
- Butter and Sugar Transformation: Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and voluminous, developing a rich, smooth base.
- Egg and Flavor Integration: Blend eggs individually into the sugar-butter mixture, ensuring complete incorporation after each addition, then introduce vanilla extract to elevate the aromatic profile.
- Banana and Pecan Incorporation: Fold mashed bananas into the mixture, creating a smooth, cohesive base, then gently fold in chopped pecans to distribute nutty texture and flavor throughout the batter.
- Batter Composition: Alternate adding dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, preserving the cake’s delicate texture and preventing overmixing.
Notes
- Prevent Banana Browning: Select ripe bananas with brown spots for deeper, sweeter flavor and natural caramelization, ensuring optimal moisture and richness in the cake.
- Manage Mixing Technique: Blend ingredients gently to avoid tough cake texture, stopping mixer when ingredients are just combined to maintain delicate, tender crumb.
- Control Nut Distribution: Lightly dust chopped pecans with flour before folding into batter to prevent sinking and ensure even nut placement throughout the cake.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap regular flour with gluten-free alternatives, use plant-based butter and egg substitutes for vegan version, maintaining original recipe’s delectable texture and taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 144 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 41 mg