Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake

You know what really stinks about the holidays? Everyone bakes lots and lots of really yummy cookies, and cakes, and tarts, and pies, and delicate things wrapped in phyllo dough...and not one of them is gluten free. (Ok, I exaggerate a bit...but none of them are GF in the homes I visit.)

I decided that I wasn't going to just grin and bear it, I was going to take action! Yes, yes, I know I could buy a wonderful, delicious, gluten free dessert from several locations (future post topic... epic foreshadowing!), but there is something about the approaching holidays and the smell of fresh baked goodies in your home.  It just makes the whole season seem complete.

Enter one of my go-to cookbooks, The Cake Mix Doctor. It is the perfect marriage between my love of homemade baked goods and my often cramped schedule.  I have a few favorites, but recently I was inspired to try the bananas foster upside down cake by the sad sight of three very ripe bananas hanging out on the kitchen counter. The result? Delicious.  Try it for yourself:

Bananas Foster Upside Down Cake (adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor)

Topping:
1/3 c butter
1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp light rum
3 c sliced bananas (about 3 bananas)--cut about 1/4" thick

Cake:
1 package yellow (or similar) gluten free cake mix*
8 Tbsp (1 stick) melted butter (channel your inner Paula Deen)
1 1/2 c whole milk
2 large eggs**
4 tsp fresh lemon juice

*I used a 15oz Hodgson Mill gluten free yellow cake mix and it worked beautifully. The original recipe calls for an 18.5 oz butter recipe golden cake mix, but good luck finding something that specific gluten free
**I substituted with cornstarch because I was out of eggs, and the bananas couldn't wait.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. (Note: The original recipe calls for the cake to be created and baked in a cast iron skillet.  My cast iron skillet is definitely not gluten free, so I used a 12" cake pan instead.  I will give you the directions for both methods, because I'm awesome like that.)

Make the topping--Place the 1/3 c butter in a 10" cast iron skillet to melt; remove from heat and stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum with a fork. Spread evenly over bottom of pan and arrange banana slices over the sugary goodness. (Non-skillet: melt butter in a saucepan, stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum while still over low heat until very well blended. Pour into buttered cake pan. Layer bananas on top.)

Make the cake--Combine cake mix, melted butter, milk, eggs, and lemon juice with an electric mixer on low speed for one minute. Increase speed and blend for an additional two minutes until the batter is creamy and smooth. Pour the batter over the prepared banana topping (in either type of pan), spread out gently (don't disturb your bananas!), and place into the oven. Bake for 43-47 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.  If you have used the cast iron skillet, run a knife along the edge of the skillet when you remove it from the oven and invert onto a plate.  If you have used a cake pan, you can do the same or just leave it in the pan for serving. If you buttered the pan well, it should release easily.

The cake is wonderful on it's own, with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or with a nice dollop of fresh whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Welcome 2013!

The New Year is only one day old, and I have already given it a lot to do.  I have set some goals and have others in queue. I am doing a bit of the "making new habits" mantra while also appreciating the ones I was able to change or incorporate in 2012.  Transforming my life into a gluten free existence was--as I look back on it--a lot harder at times than I expected. But I made it through, and I am much happier as a result.  I even took the plunge into regular exercise once I wasn't feeling like the walking dead every day, and by Christmas Day was 20 pounds lighter than this time last year. Yeah, I'll take it. And I will be keeping the "exercise regularly" habit in my bag of tricks.  It feels good.

But this journey was never about losing weight.  It was about being able to enjoy food and enjoy life without sickness. Without a foggy head. Without an aching body. And now that I am closing in on the one-year anniversary of the big change that made it all possible, I am finally...finally...feeling comfortable enough in my gluten free habits to experiment a bit with my cooking.  I used to love culinary improvisation, but I lost a bit of my kitchen mojo when my focus was on ingredients, and eliminating cross contamination, and finding out exactly which things that are "packaged on equipment that also packages wheat" I can enjoy and which ones make me wish I hadn't gotten out of bed that morning.

But, the mojo? She is back. And I am having a lovely time creating interesting meals that make me smile.  So, for 2013, one of my goals is to post here at least once a week with a recipe or restaurant or recommendation that made living the gluten free life a little easier--at least for me.  I hope to see a lot of sharing from you, too.  Leave a comment when the mood strikes you, or you can even drop me a note at dish.on.this AT gmail DOT com. I am especially interested in getting some restaurant or grocery recommendations from people outside the Pittsburgh area because I would love to see this blog become an approachable resource for people like us living in every corner.

Happy New Year everyone!