TOPPING
1 c Golden brown sugar; packed
1/4 c Unsalted butter
3 tb Pure maple syrup
1/4 c Walnuts; coarsely chopped
4 lg Ripe bananas, peeled & cut
-diagonally; 1/4 inch slices
–CAKE–
1 c Flour
2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Salt
3/4 c Sugar
6 tb Unsalted butter; room
-temperature
1 lg Egg
1/2 ts Vanilla
6 tb Milk
Sweetened whipped cream;
-optional
For topping: Preheat oven to 325. Combine sugar and butter in heavy
medium saucepan; stir over low heat until butter melts and mixture is well
blended. Pour into a 9″ diameter cake pan with 2″ high sides. Spread to
coat bottom of pan. Pour maple syrup over sugar mixture. Sprinkle nuts
evenly over. Place banana slices in concentric circles on nuts, overlapping
slightly and covering bottom.
For cake: Stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl to
blend. Beat sugar and butter in another medium bowl until creamy. Add egg
and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in flour mixture
alternately with milk in 3 additions. Spoon batter over bananas. Bake until
tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
Transfer cake to rack. Run knife around pan sides. Cool cake on rack for
30 minutes. Place a plate over pan; invert cake. Let stand 3 minutes, then
gently lift off the pan. Serve warm with whipped cream.
Yields
8 Servings