Bananas Foster Cakes

Ingredients & Directions:
(adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

14 T butter, cut into 14 pieces and softened
2/3 C packed dark brown sugar
5 T dark rum
3 ripe, firm bananas, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 C whole milk
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour
1 C granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease (6-8) 6oz ramekins & place on a cookie sheet. Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup of the brown sugar and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in 2 tablespoons of the rum. Spoon a generous tablespoon of the sauce into the bottom of each ramekin. Place the banana slices on top of the sauce inside each ramekin. (I only put four in because it seemed like a lot, but trust me you will want about 8). Whisk the remaining rum, the milk, eggs, and vanilla together in a medium bowl.

In another large bowl, whisk the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, & cinnamon. Use an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter into the flour mixture and continue to beat the mixture until it resembles moist crumbs, 1 to 3 minutes. Beat in all but 1/4 cup of the milk mixture, then increase the speed to medium and beat the batter until smooth, light, and fluffy, 1 to 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly beat in the remaining 1/4 cup milk mixture until the batter is smooth. Spoon the batter evenly into the ramekins. Bake the cakes on the cookie sheet until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes.

Bananas Foster has been on my must make list forever (everyone has one of those right?). I recently was introduced to the wonders of Paula Deen's blog by Dustin and his attempts to win her weekly cooking contest. I didn't sign up for the contest, but I did participate. The contest for this past week was to use bananas and reinterpret a classic banana dish. Well, I think they came out delicious and super tasty, but it definitely has not quelled my desire to make the traditional bananas foster, I think it has to do with the ability to flambé something.


Remember to put a few more bananas in here than I did, the bananas shrunk down a little while cooking.





Remove the cakes from the ramekin by sliding a knife around the edges and then flip it over on a serving plate. Serve them with some vanilla ice cream and be the envy of all your friends (or not).