Triple Post for Banana Chocolate Upside Down Cake ~ Happy Mommy-to-be, Kids, Housewarming

Got an alert on facebook that David Lebovitz has posted a 'Banana Chocolate Upside Down Cake' reading thru it had me wanting to leave everything... run home and start making this cake instantly.... An added advantage was that the caramel was made from water and not butter.. :-)
Just before I left from work, Bhawna[a friend at work] called me to say that she's got me a gift... bless her soul... I love gift and nice surprises... even more....
First thing I did when as soon as I got home was rip open the gift pack...Can you imagine my delight when I saw 2 non stick baking pans with silicon handles.... Just the right shape for the Banana Chocolate Upside down cake, I have sitting in my head since the morning..... It was late when I got home... I put away the tins.... After dinner, one glance at them.... it seemed almost as though they were calling out softly to me in a ghostly voice.... 'Bake... Bake... Bake....' I just had to.... Got cracking in the kitchen...

Just after I took out the cake from the oven n put it on a wire rack to cool... was pleading with God.... pl pl pl let it come out clean and not stick to the bottom of the pan....... After it had cooled... I warmed the bottom a bit to make the caramel gooey so that the butter paper would peel off smoothly...... n that peeps was a stroke of a genius to me :-) It dropped out clean and I quickly peeled the butter paper off.... note, not without burning my fingers though....... Caramel is REALLY HOT people... pl use a pair of tongs or something..... Absolutely no contact with skin... unless u want to eat charred skin... Cutting out the gruesome....

The cake came out amazingly moist and perfectly in shape.... and turned upside down like a dream..... was dancing around the house with the plate totally excited n clapping my hands in glee.... Granddad just could fathom whats gotten into me....

That's Bhawana and her hub Vibhore. Bhawna's very selective about about the sweets she eats...She doesn't like chocolate... (can you imagine someone not liking chocolate but saving grace is that she likes it in the form of Brownies....) but I was told that her child must be introduced to Chocolate. Sure I will....
Banana Chocolate Upside Down Cake was my introduction of Chocolate to their baby.... She really enjoyed it... Vibhore smsed to say "Awesome! esp the choco droplets"
She sent some across to her sister n smsed me "Hi! Sent some cake to Cheena since she was drooling over d pics i'd smsed her. She says tell Nachi didi, it was awesome :-)"
You guys are just so sweet... You make spending long, hot hours in the kitchen worth it...

The next time thi was baked when we went for dinner to a cousin's place.... My contribution was Banana Chocolate Upside Down Cake and Sugar-Free Coffee Cheesecake. The girls couldn't wait for the adults to finish dinner before getting to the cake...... The girls were jumping up and down like excited jelly beans.... Whose Bithday is it? It's Nachi masi's birthday says her mom. Most obviously there was singing n cake cutting by the girls except it wasn't my birthday.... Didn't mind the kisses that i got from the girls on the pretext of my birthday.. :-)
The last time round, their mom had got the kissed n i got kisses from chocolate covered lips.. read the valentine story here.
This time round as well this cake didn't disappoint me..... Came out of the mould like magic.... Was appreciated by the kids and adults a lot.... How do I know? Everyone took second helpings... The girls wanted big pieces.... :-)

It was Julie and Vivek's House warming party..... Was going crazy thinking about what they would like.... He loves Pineapple Upside down cake and she loves Banoffee Pie... So it was best that I made Banana Chocolate Upside Down Cake, which would be liked by both... Had planned some Orange Cookies and made one for Princess too but alas, they burnt to cinders while I was on the phone making the evening program..... just didn't have the time to make another batch. It just has to be the cake then....

That's Julie, her mom, Pinakini[her sister, a total live wire] and Yashna[her niece].... The best part... they have a fabulously large kitchen.... amonst other awesome places in their castle.. ;-)

We had such a blast at the party.....
n why would you think the pool on the terrace would not be used by really HAPPY people to swim in and dunk others... n splash us dry people standing outside.....

Banana Chocolate Chip Upside-Down Cake Adapted from David Lebovitz's Recipe

One 8-inch (20 cm) square cake
When I originally developed this recipe, as mentioned, I was writing for a magazine that requested low-fat recipes, hence the single egg white. But if you're not all that concerned, simply add an additional egg, yolk and all, and reduce the sour cream by one tablespoon. If you live somewhere where sour cream isn't available, you can use buttermilk, plain whole milk yogurt, or fromage blanc. You'll notice that you can use either butter or water in the topping. If you're skeptical, I can honestly say that the non-butter version is really good. But for non-believers, go ahead and add a few tablespoons of butter instead.
Ingredients: For the topping:
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (100 g) packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water or butter; cubed, at room temperature
3-4 ripe medium bananas
a few drops of lemon juice


For the cake:
1 1/2 cups (210 g) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (30 g) melted butter, salted or unsalted
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 cup (250 g) banana puree (about 2 bananas)
1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, regular or low-fat
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80 g) chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

1. To make the topping, place the brown sugar and water or butter in an 8-inch (20 cm) square cake pan. Warm the pan directly on the stovetop over low heat, stirring until the sugar is thoroughly moistened.
If using water, simmer the mixture for about 45 seconds. If using butter, stir just until the sugar is moist and bubbling, then remove from heat. (It won't melt completely smooth, and there may be a few bare spots, which is normal.) Let cool to room temperature.
2. Peel and slice the bananas in 1/4-inch (1 cm) slices. Arrange them in slightly overlapping rows over the melted brown sugar. Sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice.
3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl, making sure there are no lumps. Mix in the granulated sugar.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, egg, egg white, banana puree, sour cream, and vanilla.


6. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until almost combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the chocolate pieces.
7. Scrape the batter into the pan over the bananas, then use a spatula to carefully spread the batter over the sliced fruit.
8. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake feels just set in the center when you touch it.
9. Cool the cake for about 20 minutes, then run a knife along the edges of the cake to help it release from the pan. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.

Serving: The cake is best served warm with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or by itself as a snack. If made an hour or so in advance, it can be inverted on the serving platter, and left with the cake pan over it, to keep it warm. Otherwise is can be rewarmed in a low over, covered with foil. Or enjoyed at room temperature.

This cake had me doing a monkey jig everytime... it's a Banana Chocolate Upside down cake after all.... ;-) The smokey flavour of the caramel is just divine..... It forces one to close their eyes with joy n go Hmmmmmm.....

This cake is a must try..... It's totally fabulous to sink your teeth into.... Turns the humble banana into something which is totally DIVINE....

They bore witness to all the craziness at Julie and Vivek's Housewarming party... Wishing the both of them all the best...