Bananas Foster Cake is a moist and tender banana cake infused with rum under a thick layer of sweet, rich and buttery Pecan Praline Glaze. This banana rum cake comes dressed for any party.
Bananas Foster Cake is a beautifully tender homemade banana cake recipe that is bathed in a buttery pecan praline sauce that will have you eating it right from the pan.
I’ve got to be straight up with you. I’m not crazy about cooked bananas or bananas that are too soft so a traditional Bananas Foster dessert isn’t in my list of favorites.
Don’t get me wrong, we love bananas, and love baking them into bread such as our Homemade Banana Bread recipe.
This Banana Foster Bundt cake is very moist and the crumb is tender and dense like a pound cake. Covered with a thick layer of praline glaze makes this Banana Bundt Cake one of those cakes perfect for any occasion.
It’s also one of those cakes that can serve several people, and it’s fire-free!
Table of contents
Why do they call it Bananas Foster?
Like so amazing rich recipes, Bananas Foster Dessert originated in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1951, based on a family recipe of Emily Brennan.
It was named after Richard Foster, the chairman of the New Orleans Crime Commission and a friend of restaurant owner Owen Brennan.
Traditional Bananas Foster is a dessert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream with a sauce made with rum and banana liqueur and then ignited to burn off the alcohol. The technique is called flambé.
I’ve taken liberties with this cake. I don’t top it with a traditional Bananas Foster Sauce or flambé this banana cake.
Banana Foster Bundt Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Cake flour – Cake flour gives your cake a tender crumb.
- Baking Powder – makes your cake rise
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar – I like dark brown sugar. It has more of a molasses flavor.
- Buttermilk – makes you cake so moist!
- Rum
- Flavorings – vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt
- Eggs – I always use large eggs for consistent results in my baking.
- Pecans
- Bananas – ripened and soft
- Butter
Tips for making this Bananas Foster Bundt Cake recipe
- Ripe bananas are softer and sweeter. They also blend a lot easier.
- You can ripen bananas for baking by placing unpeeled bananas on a foil-lined baking sheet and baking them in a 300°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until the peel is black all over.
- This recipe uses cake flour. Cake flour creates a more tender crumb.
- I recommend that you sift and then measure the flour. Sifting aerates the flour. It also increases the volume which is why it’s measured after sifting.
- You can make your own cake flour by taking a level cup of all-purpose flour and then removing 2 tablespoons. Replace the 2 tablespoons of flour with corn starch and then sift together and measure.
- Grease and flour your bundt pan. You don’t want the cake to stick and by flouring it you can also see if you’ve applied enough grease.
- I use shortening to grease my pans.
- You can substitute the Rum for any banana liqueur or go alcohol-free by adding an equal amount of liquid. Water or apple juice is what we recommend.
- We love Bambu Rum in this recipe and it’s our go-to sipping rum. This rum is smooth and has an essence of bananas without a strong or artificial banana flavor.
Tips for making Pecan Praline Glaze
This is a cooked caramel frosting. While it’s not difficult to make, we do have some helpful tips that I hope you’ll glance through before making the recipe.
- Pecan Praline glaze will thicken as it cools. For this reason, don’t start making it until you’re ready to apply it to the cake.
- I start making the Praline sauce after I remove the cake from the oven. The cake is cool enough to remove from the bundt pan by the time the sauce is made, approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
- Melt the butter first and then add the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat. Too high a heat can burn your brown sugar. Burnt sugar is bitter and can’t be used.
- Don’t overcook the sauce. You can end up with a hard clump.
- If that happens, add a little water and slowly heat it into the glaze.
- Add the pecans after the glaze is made. It makes it much easier to stir the caramel icing mixture.
- The mixture will thicken as it cools. Pour over the cake as soon as it has a slightly thickened consistency. See the video in the recipe card.
Bananas Foster Cake should be stored covered and eaten within 3 days. The cake may be frozen prior to applying the glaze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Products we use
- Bundt Pan – I love this pan. It’s not only beautiful but it has a non-stick coating that really helps my cakes release.
- Spatulas – I get a lot of comments on my pretty spatulas. This pretty set has a flat side and a curved side to take on your toughest job. I love that they are all one piece and can withstand 500°F!
- Whisks – I love my whisks and have them in several sizes, shapes, and colors. I have a gadget obsession I guess and love these!
Here are some more recipes I think you’ll like
There are no mushy bananas in this Bananas Foster Bunt Cake. Just a sweet tender cake under a layer of a rich buttery Praline frosting. AND since Bananas Foster Dessert is supposed to include vanilla ice cream, it’s only right to add a dollop right on top!
If you like this recipe, we would appreciate your comment and a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review!
Bananas Foster Cake with Pecan Praline Glaze
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 3 cups cake flour sifted and then measured
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 1/4 cup rum (we like dark rum)
- 1 cup bananas mashed (3 bananas)
- 1/2 cup pecans roughly chopped (optional)
Pecan Praline Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/4 cup rum
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1/2 cup pecans roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a bundt pan or one 9×13-inch pan.
- Sift the cake flour and then measure out 3 cups into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt to the sifted flour and whisk together to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the melted butter with the brown sugar, white sugar, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and rum. Beat until combined.
- With the electric mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients alternating with the bananas to the wet ingredients. Continue mixing until the batter is smooth. Batter will be thin.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done.
- Allow the pan to cool 15 to 30 minutes and then turn it onto a serving plate.
Pecan Praline Glaze
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for exactly 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the rum and bring back to boiling. As soon as it has reached the boiling state remove it from the heat. Beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir in the pecans. Spread glaze over the cake.
- The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
- Sift cake flour before measuring it. Sifting aerates and increases the volume so if you measured and then sifted you would be using more than what this Bananas Foster cake recipe needs.
- Pecan Praline glaze will thicken as it cools. For this reason, don’t start making it until you’re ready to apply it to the cake.
- Melt the butter first and then add the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat. Too high a heat can burn your brown sugar. Burnt sugar is bitter and can’t be used.
- Don’t overcook the sauce.
- If that happens, add a little water and slowly heat it into the glaze.
- Add the pecans after the glaze is made. It makes it much easier to stir the caramel icing mixture.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Do you have a favorite cake? I’d love to know what it is! Just leave me a comment below.
Sarah
Friday 27th of October 2023
My glazed hardened too quickly. Do you think I cooked it for too long or the heat was too high?
Julie Menghini
Friday 27th of October 2023
Either one of those issues could have caused it to harden quickly. It will also set up quickly as it cools. If you haven't applied it try heating it up with a little water slowly to thin it down.
Birgit
Tuesday 20th of June 2023
The flavor was good but the consistency was rubbery.
Julie Menghini
Thursday 22nd of June 2023
I've never had that experience.
Deb
Tuesday 31st of January 2023
Could you use a pecan cake mix & add bananas & rum?
Julie Menghini
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
I make this cake from scratch but I don't know why you couldn't do what you're suggesting. Let me know how it works. That would be a whole new recipe for our readers.
Melody
Sunday 15th of January 2023
We don't use alcoholic beverages in our home. I can substitute juice, but could I also add a little rum flavoring?
Julie Menghini
Monday 16th of January 2023
You certainly can use rum flavoring and pineapple juice would be amazing in this recipe, Melody. You do not have to use alcohol.
Joseph Ochoa
Monday 30th of May 2022
I’ve made this cake and am just a little confused. The recipe calls for one teaspoon of vanilla for the batter and vanilla in the body of the recipe for the glaze. The ingredients on the recipe for the glaze does not show this. Is there vanilla in the glaze.