How to Make Low Sugar Gluten-Free Banana Upside-Down Cake

Before having kids, I used to love to bake to impress. To bring out a pudding that had serious wow factor and that made people ooh and aah as they ate it.

Between having children and cutting back on our sugar intake, I’ve had moments where I wonder if those wow-ing dessert days are behind me.

And then I make something like my sugar free ginger & toffee cake, or low sugar profiteroles. Or this. In fact, this may be the best one yet. After all, what’s more impressive than an upside-down cake?

The bananas and coconut sugar melt into a caramel-flavoured banana upside-down cake with a beautifully chewy toffee rim, meltingly soft and super sweet bananas, and a moist and fluffy sponge cake.

And here’s the best bit: it’s made with one blender and a cake tin, and the only effort involved is a bit of melting, slicing a couple of bananas and measuring ingredients. Minimal prep, one bowl, and you get this:

Oh, and yeah, it’s also gluten free, has a dairy free option, and contains some veg (how much exactly is kind of up to you – you can use all yogurt or all orange veg or half-and-half of both). And yes, it is all low in sugar – in fact, the cake has no added sugar at all, and I’ve included a fructose/sugar free toffee sauce alternative for those really concerned about it and wanting to make it completely sugar free, although it will take a little more faff and taste slightly different).

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How to Make Low Sugar Gluten-Free Banana Upside-Down Cake

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

50 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

A delicious, caramelised banana upside down that just happens to be low in sugar, refined sugar free, gluten free, with a dairy free option, and even contain some vegetables! A perfect feel-good treat for the family.

Course: Autumn, Bonfire Night, Celebration, Dairy Free, Dessert, Entertaining, Fall, Gluten Free, Halloween, Sugar Free, Summer, Treat, Vegetarian, Winter

Servings: 8 serves

Ingredients

For the caramelised bananas:

• 60 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted (you can sub coconut oil for dairy free)
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar, but coconut sugar gives it an extra caramel-ly flavour)
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced thinly lengthways or into slices (it’s up to you)

For the cake:

• 1 and 1/2 ripe bananas
• 4-5 drops stevia, or to taste
• 60 g (1/4 cup) unsweetened pumpkin, sweet potato or squash puree (or use more yogurt)
• 60 g (1/4 cup) plain full-fat yogurt (or use more pumpkin puree)
• 50 g (1/4 cup) butter or coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons sugar and gluten free vanilla extract
• 200 g (2 cups) gluten free flour blend* (or use the same amount of plain/white spelt flour if you prefer)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons (gluten free) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon maca powder (optional, but adds a more caramel-ly flavour as well as a nutritional boost – I get mine from Aldi for pennies)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Grease and line an 8" (20cm) cake tin. Pour the melted butter over the bottom and sprinkle over the coconut sugar so it's evenly covering the base (it should start to thicken up almost straightaway). Lay the banana slices in the caramel. Set aside while you make the cake.

2. Blitz the banana in a blender until smooth, add the stevia, yogurt and/or pumpkin puree, butter, eggs and vanilla and pulse to combine. Add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to mix until the mixture is just combined. Pour over the caramel banana mixture in the cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the tin, then very carefully place a large serving plate over the cake tin and gently tip onto it. Serve warm or cold.

Recipe Notes

*I make my own gluten free blend – it’s cheaper and takes me seconds to make – you can find it here

**Need to make the cake completely free of added sugar? Try using my sugar free toffee sauce in the base and top with the bananas and cake.