Guest Post: Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake in a Cast Iron

October Cooking Tool of the Month – Cast Iron

Today’s guest post is a dessert…finally!! Cast iron’s are so great to use for desserts and sweet things. This cake from Leinana of Vegan Good Things makes my mouth water! Hopefully I will be able to squeeze out a dessert recipe for you too before the month is up. I apologize for the lack of recipe posts this month. I’ve been traveling so much!! Tell me in the comments what kind of recipes would you like to see for the last week of cast iron and I will try to make them happen this week! 

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake by Leinana

I got a set of cast iron cookware from my grandmother when I got married, it’s a Southern tradition. Growing up with a Southern family, cooking in cast iron was a nearly every day occurrence. I love that you can use cast iron both on the stovetop and in the oven, I love that it is nonstick without that toxic nonstick coating, and I love that if cared for, it can last for generations. Plus, cooking with it can actually boost your iron intake, which is a great health benefit.

I have a slight obsession with banana desserts, so you can imagine how excited I was to find a recipe for a Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake. I wanted to veganize it, and the substitutions worked out really well. Enjoy with a scoop of your favorite non-dairy vanilla ice cream.

Bananas Foster Upside-Down Cake

Makes 8 servings

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup vegan butter (like Earth Balance), softened and divided

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoon rum

2 ripe bananas

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

3 teaspoon Ener-G egg replacer, mixed with 4 Tbsp. water (equivalent of 2 large eggs)

3/4 cup almond or other non-dairy milk

1/2 cup soy yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup soy powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Toast pecans in a dry skillet a few minutes until toasted and fragrant, stirring occasionally.

Melt 1/4 cup vegan butter in a lightly greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar and rum.

Cut bananas diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices; arrange in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle pecans over bananas.

Beat 3/4 cup granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add egg replacer, almond milk, soy yogurt, and vanilla; beat just until blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar, soy powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients and beat until blended. (Batter will be slightly lumpy.)

Pour batter over mixture in skillet. Use a nonstick spatula to smooth as evenly as possible. (Don’t worry if batter doesn’t reach the edges, it will expand as it bakes.) Place skillet on a foil-lined jelly-roll pan.

Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen. Invert onto a serving plate, spooning any topping in skillet over cake.

Leinana Two Moons is the author of Vegan Good Things. She can often be found in her kitchen trying to perfect vegan dessert recipes, while her busy 11 month old vegan son works on rearranging all the pots and pans.