I’m the girl who buys green bananas. The greener the better. I’ll even ask the person working in the produce department to find me greener bananas if the selection is too yellow for my likings.

total banana snob.

Promise I don’t eat them green. Total Yuck. I mean you can barely peel them so how could you eat them???   I buy them green so that a week later when I’m near the end of the bunch, I’m not eating totally rotten brown bananas. Gross. Disgusting. Rotten.

Those brown spots are just evil.

But my Mom always told me they were the sweetest.

  {Yes Mom, I’m finally listening}

The other day I cam home to these.

Imagine my horror.

Where is the trash?

and then I the Mr. reminded me that I’m thrifty and I don’t waste so I better figure out a solution for the disgusting rotten bananas that the fruit flies were about to attack.  We eat what we buy and I hate to throw away food.

So I added a little of this.

Butter and Brown Sugar.

Mixed in some smushed rotten bananas and miraculously came about this caramelized banana goodness

which then became the base {or the top} of a scrumptious mom was right Caramelized “rotten” Banana Cake. Pinky Prom it does not taste rotten. Total opposites day.  It’s the lightest, fluffiest, yummiest, caramely-ist, banana cake ever.  Eat it for breakfast, eat it for lunch, brunch, with bacon, with ice cream or even as the base for french toast, you want this.
Big time.

Caramelized Banana Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled + 3 tablespoons

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar + 1/3 cup

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/4 cups) + 2 bananas, sliced

1/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, and let sizzle and melt, then whisk in 1/3 cup brown sugar and add in the sliced bananas in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside while making batter.

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugars. Once combined, whisk in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add in flour mixture , then add in mashed bananas and mix. Add in milk; mix until combined. Pour skillet  bananas into a cast iron baking pan and spread evenly.  Pour batter over banana mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cake is golden and testing stick comes out clean. Let cool for 5-10 minutes, then serve warm with a heavy scoop of vanilla ice cream.

{MF Dre}