Going Bananas- Banana Upside Down Cake with Walnuts and Coconut

An easy, quick cake sure to become your family's favourite.  I always have frozen, ripe bananas ready for baking.  This weekend, I happily baked two banana breads and this very delicious upside-down cake- move over pineapple, banana is now king!

Unless I am baking for an upcoming dinner, I like to cut up my cakes and freeze in small portions.  If I thaw a whole cake, I  know that I will eat much more cake than is good for me.  But, a little piece is just fine and makes me feel virtuous and reasonable. HA!

This is another great recipe from Bake from Scratch, a great source of well-written and enticing recipes.  Highly recommended.

Cutting up my cake in small (maybe not so small) pieces for the freezer,
ready to snack on.

To make one nine-inch square cake


Ingredients
½ cup (71 gr)      walnuts
¼ cup (28 gr)      walnuts, finely chopped
¾ cup (170 gr)    unsalted butter, softened and divided
½ cup (110 gr) plus ⅓ cup (73 gr) light brown sugar, firmly packed and divided
2 tbsp (30 gr)      cream of coconut
½ tbsp  (7.5 gr)   water
2½ tsp (10 gr)     vanilla extract, divided
3 bananas (372 gr), halved lengthwise
½ cup (100 gr)     granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1¾ cups (219 gr)  all-purpose flour
1½ tsp (7.5 gr)     baking powder
¾ tsp (2.25 gr)     kosher salt
¼ tsp                    ground cinnamon
¾ cup (180 gr)     whole milk
½ cup (25 gr)       sweetened flaked coconut
¼ cup (60 gr)       sour cream

Directions
Preheat oven to 350° (180°C). Spray a 9-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.
Sprinkle walnuts around edges of prepared pan.

In a large saucepan, melt ¼ cup (57 gr) butter over medium-high heat. Stir in ⅓ cup (73 gr) brown sugar and cream of coconut; bring to a boil. Stir in ½ tablespoon (7.5 gr) water and 1 teaspoon (4 gr) vanilla; cook for 1 minute. Pour mixture into pan. Arranged halved bananas on syrup in bottom of pan, cut side down.

In a large bowl, beat granulated sugar, remaining ½ cup (110 gr) brown sugar, and remaining ½ cup (113 gr) butter with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in remaining ½ teaspoons (6 gr) vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Fold in coconut and sour cream. Carefully spread batter onto bananas.

Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.