Bananas Foster Cake
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 15, 2013
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 10 to 12 (Makes 1 cake)
Ingredients
Caramel and Banana Filling
½ cup dark rum ½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar Pinch table salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled4 ripe bananas ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamonFrosting
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened⅛ teaspoon salt 2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar ¼ cup dark rum 1 teaspoon vanilla extractCake
3 (8-inch) baked yellow cake roundsBefore You Begin
We like to use our Yellow Layer Cake for this recipe.
Instructions
- Cook ½ cup rum, brown sugar, and pinch salt in 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until spatula leaves 2-second trail when dragged through sauce, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove caramel from heat. Whisk 3 tablespoons caramel and 2 tablespoons chilled butter together in small bowl until combined; set aside and let cool completely.
- Peel and cut 2 bananas into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add sliced bananas and cinnamon to remaining warm caramel in skillet, and stir gently to combine. Set aside and let cool completely.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, mix remaining 20 tablespoons softened butter and ⅛ teaspoon salt on medium-low speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and continue to mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add remaining ¼ cup rum and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake plate or pedestal. Spread half of banana filling over cake. Top with second cake layer and remaining filling. Top with final cake layer and frost top and sides of cake. Just before serving, peel and cut remaining 2 bananas into ¼-inch-thick slices and shingle around top edge of cake. Pour reserved caramel-butter mixture over bananas, allowing excess to drip down sides of cake. Serve.
for the caramel and banana filling
for the frosting
to assemble
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 10 to 12 (Makes 1 cake)Ingredients
Caramel and Banana Filling
½ cup dark rum
½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
Pinch table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
4 ripe bananas
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar
¼ cup dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake
3 (8-inch) baked yellow cake rounds
Ingredients
Caramel and Banana Filling
½ cup dark rum
½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
Pinch table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
4 ripe bananas
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar
¼ cup dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake
3 (8-inch) baked yellow cake rounds
Ingredients
Caramel and Banana Filling
½ cup dark rum
½ cup packed (3 ½ ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
Pinch table salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
4 ripe bananas
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Frosting
20 tablespoons (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 20 pieces and softened
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams) confectioners' sugar
¼ cup dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cake
3 (8-inch) baked yellow cake rounds
Why This Recipe Works
Bananas Foster is a delicious and impressive dessert that involves flambéing bananas in rum and serving them over ice cream. For a more party-friendly dessert, we fill layers of yellow cake with bananas cooked in a rum-laced caramel. The fluffy frosting gets a generous dose of rum as well, and the cake is topped with banana slices and more of the caramel sauce, enriched with butter for extra decadence.
Before You Begin
We like to use our Yellow Layer Cake for this recipe.
Instructions
- Cook ½ cup rum, brown sugar, and pinch salt in 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until spatula leaves 2-second trail when dragged through sauce, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove caramel from heat. Whisk 3 tablespoons caramel and 2 tablespoons chilled butter together in small bowl until combined; set aside and let cool completely.
- Peel and cut 2 bananas into ¼-inch-thick slices. Add sliced bananas and cinnamon to remaining warm caramel in skillet, and stir gently to combine. Set aside and let cool completely.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, mix remaining 20 tablespoons softened butter and ⅛ teaspoon salt on medium-low speed until smooth, about 10 seconds. Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and continue to mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add remaining ¼ cup rum and vanilla and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl as needed. Increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Place 1 cake layer on cake plate or pedestal. Spread half of banana filling over cake. Top with second cake layer and remaining filling. Top with final cake layer and frost top and sides of cake. Just before serving, peel and cut remaining 2 bananas into ¼-inch-thick slices and shingle around top edge of cake. Pour reserved caramel-butter mixture over bananas, allowing excess to drip down sides of cake. Serve.
for the caramel and banana filling
for the frosting
to assemble
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