Caramelized Banana Yogurt Skillet Cake

This month’s #reciperedux features treasured cookware – those kitchen tools that have been passed down from a loved one.

Growing up with my grandparents, the only skillets in the house were cast iron ones. It’s the only “non stick” option they knew. They used cast iron pans to make everything from candied yams to hoecakes.

A few years ago, when I’d visit home and before Grandma developed Alzheimer’s disease, she would ask me to “wait a minute” just as I was packed and ready to drive back to Atlanta. I fondly remember it as a stalling tactic to get me to stay a little longer. She’d go to another part of the house to get something for me – it may have been a card or some treat. On one of those trips, she gave me a well-seasoned, little cast iron skillet. I’ve treasured it since that day.

Thankful to own a piece of my grandmother’s kitchen, I usually use this skillet to make cornbread for Sunday dinner. For this recipe redux challenge, I tried something a little sweeter. I started cooking on my own in high school – mostly baking. I rarely bake anything now but that may soon change as berry season rolls in.

This Caramelized Banana Skillet Cake uses my most treasured piece of cookware and embraces the nutritionist and baker in me.

This was my first time making a cake in the skillet and my first time doing an upside-down cake period. Honestly, the texture is  somewhere between cake and bread. Call it what you want but it’s wonderfully fluffy and just sweet enough.

Outtake: If you look closely at the center, you will notice that some of the caramelized banana topping almost got left behind. Thanks to my Grandma’s well- seasoned skillet, I was able to rescue and reattach the banana topping to the cake. No doubt, this happened because I skimped on the butter. (More butter = easier inversion. Less butter = healthier recipe. #HealthyEaterProblems)

I didn’t take a picture because if I’d gone a minute longer the sugar would have cooled and hardened and my cake would have been missing its top! Would have been a good one though…

Hope you enjoy the cake!

Print Recipe

Caramelized Banana Yogurt Skillet Cake

Ingredients

• Caramelized Topping:
• 1 T butter
• 3 T brown sugar
• 1 banana sliced
• Cake Mix:
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 c brown sugar not packed
• 2 T butter softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain Greek 2% yogurt
• 3 very ripe bananas mashed (about 1 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 t vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• For the caramelized topping:
• Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a seasoned 8 inch cast iron skillet. Remove from heat. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and arrange the bananas in a single layer. Set aside.
• Mix the all purpose and whole wheat flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
• Cream the sugar and butter. Whisk in the egg, yogurt and bananas until well blended. Add the vanilla extract. Combine this mixture with the dry ingredients until well blended.
• Pour the cake batter over the banana, sugar and butter topping in the skillet.
• Bake in the middle of the oven at 375 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Working quickly, invert the cake onto a wire rack or plate to cool. Serve warm.
• (Don't allow the cake to cool in the skillet. You won't get to see that yummy caramelized banana topping.)

Notes

Cake recipe notably adapted from Cooking Light's Classic Banana Bread recipe.