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Mili's Sweets Banana Caramel Cake - with gluten free option

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One of my favorite ways to use old, over ripe bananas. In this recipe, I have my son's little hands helping me make this in our kitchen at home. The mess we made was well worth the memories and the taste of this delicious cake. 
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Course: Dessert
Keyword: bananas, cake, handcrafted
Servings: 16
Author: Mili Takashima

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 3 cups all purpose flour or substitute same-ratio of all purpose gluten free mixture
  • 4 large bananas that are ripe and mashed. Note that this is the last ingredient and gets handled lightly. Fold in by hand. Do not beat or mix with a machine.
  • 3/4 cup canola oil you can substitute with vegetable oil, avocado oil, applesauce, etc. but this amount of liquid and up to one cup is the proper ratio and substitutions will make for a different end-result.

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
    I'm sharing the old fashioned way to put this recipe together - in a bowl. You can definitely use a hand mixer or standing mixer, as long as you promise not to mix the bananas with the machine. This last step must be done by hand.
    Before or after you're ready to preheat your oven, you'll need to prepare the bananas. "Smash" with a fork or by hand.  Have the mashed bananas sit out at room temperature while you prepare the rest of recipe. This way, they will naturally golden and caramelize.
  • Place your eggs in a large bowl. Whisk. On top of your prepared eggs, add the oil and vanilla extract. Then, all of the dry ingredients on top. Save the bananas for last. Hand-mix with a spatula until moistened. Do not beat. Once everything is incorporated, fold-in your mashed (or squished) bananas. If your over-mix the bananas, they will turn into a starch, changing the texture and ruining the cake. I've always mixed this recipe the old-school way (by hand) and the results are just-right.
  • This recipe made three, 6" layers for our cake. I prefer a taller cake and use 3" high pans from Fat Daddios. Prepare your pans for the batter and you can place a dollop of caramel in the center to swirl throughout the cake. 
  • Start checking your pans after 35 minutes. I never set an exact time for my cakes since each recipe is different and it depends on how much batter is poured in.Allow your cake layers to cool completely and remove from the pans.
  • When it was ready, I filled and sealed the cake layers with some vanilla buttercream. This locks in the freshness of the cake and will help maintain the tender crumb. 
  • If you'd like the caramel drizzle, you can warm up prepared caramel and cut a gallon sized bag at the corner to pour it on as you wish.