Banana Sticky Bun Cake
Soft banana cake with a sticky brown sugar pecan topping, baked upside down and turned out warm. It's an easy, egg-free dessert for a cozy fall day, especially if pumpkin isn't your thing.
Save this recipe
Want to save this recipe for later?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox.
My sticky bun fix
Sticky buns are one of my favorites, but waiting for dough to rise and making a day out of it isn't. This is what I make when I want that fix without the wait.
One layer of cake, a simple pecan topping, and no buttercream to make. You can get straight to the good part.
Ingredient notes
Key ingredients
Banana
Puree it or mash with a fork. Don't stress about perfectly brown bananas; I've made this with less-ripe ones and it still turned out beautifully.
Cake flour and cornstarch
Keep both in this recipe for a soft crumb. Weigh the flour before sifting.
Brands I used for this recipe
If you're making this dairy-free or vegan, these are the brands I recommend. I want it to taste like a great cake. If an ingredient leaves an aftertaste, my brain latches onto it, and that's all I can taste. That's why I'm particular about these picks. Dairy equivalents can be used at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
Country Crock Heavy Plant Cream
My first choice over other dairy-free heavy creams. I don't get the coconut-like aftertaste that stands out to me in other brands.
Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
These are the butter sticks I recommend for the sticky topping if you're making this dairy-free or vegan.
Tezza Plain & Simple Greek Yogurt
The soy-based yogurt I used in this cake. It's been my favorite to bake with.
Forager Unsweetened Plain Greek Style Yogurt
My recommended alternative if you can't find Tezza.
Step by step
How It All Comes Together
Step 1
Get everything ready
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the round pan, line the bottom with a parchment circle, and lightly grease the paper. Measure the topping and cake ingredients separately. Toast the pecans on a baking sheet for 6-8 minutes until fragrant, let them cool slightly, then roughly chop.
The cake ingredients are ready to mix, with the banana already mashed. Step 2
Melt the butter and brown sugar
Add the butter and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Start with the butter and brown sugar together in the saucepan. 
Keep stirring while the remaining butter melts into the sugar. Step 3
Let it bubble gently
Once smooth, let the mixture bubble gently for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Adjust the heat as needed to keep it from boiling too vigorously.
The butter has melted, and bubbles are beginning to form across the mixture. Step 4
Slowly stir in the cream
Stream in the cream while stirring. Once incorporated, return the mixture to a gentle bubble and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It should thicken slightly but remain loose and pourable.
Pour in a thin stream and keep stirring as the cream goes in. 
Let it return to a gentle bubble. Lower the heat if it starts boiling too hard. Step 5
Stir in the pecans
Take the saucepan off the heat. Stir in the vanilla bean paste, salt, and toasted chopped pecans, then set aside while you make the cake batter.
Add the toasted pecans after taking the pan off the heat. 
Stir until the pecans are coated throughout. 
The finished topping falls from the spatula and is still pourable. It will thicken as it cools. Step 6
Mix the cake batter
Whisk the sugars, banana, milk, vinegar, yogurt, oil, and vanilla until combined. Add the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg on top. Gently whisk the dry ingredients together on the surface, then fold them into the wet mixture just until no dry streaks remain.
Combine the wet ingredients and sugars before adding the dry ingredients. 
Small pieces from fork-mashed banana are fine; there should be no pockets of dry flour. Step 7
Layer the topping and batter
Pour the pecan mixture into the lined pan and spread it across the bottom. Add the batter in portions across the surface, then gently smooth it to the edges without stirring it into the topping.
Pour the topping onto the greased parchment. 
Distribute the pecans right to the edges. 
The batter sits over the pecans. Spread gently to keep the layers separate. Step 8
Bake and check the center
Bake for 24-28 minutes, starting your checks at 24 minutes. The center should spring back lightly, and a toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Mine was done at 24 minutes.
Check the cake in the center, where it takes longest to bake through. Step 9
Loosen and turn out while warm
Let the cake rest in its pan for 5-10 minutes, then run a thin knife or spatula around the entire edge. Place a serving plate over the pan. With oven mitts, hold both securely and invert. Give the base a firm tap and slowly lift the pan away. If the parchment comes out with the cake, peel it off. Turn the cake out within that cooling window so the topping hasn't set in the pan.
Release the sides all the way around before flipping. 
Lift slowly. Scrape any topping left in the pan back over the cake. Step 10
Slice and serve
Serve warm or let the cake cool completely before slicing. Warm with ice cream is my favorite.
Slide a cake server underneath to lift out a slice with its topping. 
The finished slice has soft cake underneath the glossy pecans.
Troubleshooting
If This Happens
The topping cooled before I finished the batter
Warm it gently over low heat just until it's pourable again, then spread it in the prepared pan.
Keep it good
Storage
Freezer
This is best the day it's baked. If you have leftovers, let them cool completely before wrapping and sealing for the freezer.
Recipe FAQ
Questions that come up
Can I use another pan?
A 9-inch round or a square pan is an option to try, but I don't have a tested baking time for those shapes. I haven't tried a Bundt pan either. Use the doneness cues in the recipe rather than relying only on the clock.
Can I use a different nut?
Yes! Walnuts or almonds are great alternatives. I also think roasted macadamias would be wonderful, though I haven't tried them yet.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste?
Yes! Use the same amount of vanilla extract.
More recipes to try
- Prep
- About 20 min (estimated)
- Bake
- 24-28 min
- Total
- About 50-60 min (estimated), including cooling
- Yield
- One 8-inch round cake
Measurement note
For the closest match to the recipe I tested, use grams. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but cups can vary, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when measuring by volume.
Ingredients
Pecan Sticky Topping
- 70 g butter
- 110 g light brown sugar
- 45 g cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 115 g pecans
Banana Cake
- 75 g granulated sugar
- 40 g light brown sugar
- 130 g ripe banana, pureed or mashed
- 90 g milk, room temperature
- 5 g apple cider vinegar
- 60 g plain unsweetened Greek-style yogurt, room temperature
- 45 g neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 120 g cake flour, sifted
- 8 g cornstarch
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Pinch ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
Pan used
This is the style of aluminum pan I use. Shop Fat Daddio's round cake pans - choose 8-inch.
I recommend light-colored aluminum for an even bake.
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with a parchment circle. Lightly grease the parchment.
- 2Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 6-8 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop.
- 3Make the pecan sticky topping. Add the butter and brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- 4Let the mixture bubble gently for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Adjust the heat as needed so it doesn't boil too vigorously.
- 5Slowly stream in the cream while stirring. Once incorporated, return the mixture to a gentle bubble and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. It should thicken slightly but remain loose and pourable; it will thicken more as it cools.
- 6Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste, salt, and toasted chopped pecans. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
- 7Make the banana cake. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, banana puree or mash, milk, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, neutral oil, and vanilla bean paste until combined.
- 8Add the cake flour on top, followed by the cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently whisk the dry ingredients together on the surface before folding them into the wet ingredients. Mix just until no dry streaks remain.
- 9Pour the pecan sticky topping into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly across the bottom.
- 10Carefully spoon the banana cake batter over the topping, distributing it across the surface before gently spreading it evenly to the edges. Fill the pan no more than two-thirds full; you may have a little batter left over.
- 11Bake for 24-28 minutes, beginning to check at 24 minutes. The cake is done when the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Mine was done at 24 minutes.
- 12Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes. Run a thin knife or spatula around the entire edge to release the sides completely. Turn it out within that window, before the pecan topping begins to set in the pan.
- 13Place a serving plate over the pan. Using oven mitts, hold the plate and pan securely together and carefully invert. Give the bottom of the pan a firm tap, then slowly lift it away.
- 14The parchment will likely stay inside the pan. If it comes out with the cake, carefully peel it away. Scrape any topping left in the pan onto the cake and spread it evenly.
- 15Serve warm, or allow to cool completely before slicing. I love it with ice cream.
Meet the baker
Angela Heckler
Angela Heckler is the recipe developer, baker, and photographer behind Obsessed Cakes. Her Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf series is a growing collection of cake-donut-inspired loaves with soft, deeply moist crumbs, buttery streusel, and crackly glaze. Angela develops and tests every recipe in her Arizona kitchen. Follow Obsessed Cakes on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Made it? Tell us.
Ratings and reviews
Be the first to rate this recipe.
No reviews yet.
Make the recipe, leave a rating, and share how it turned out.Did you make this?
Share your bake on Instagram - tag @obsessedwithcashews and use #obsessedcakes.