Rum Glazed Banana Bundt Cake Recipe

Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti

Ripe bananas are right at home in this moist cashew and coconut laden cake. Top it off with a rum spiked glaze.

I love to eat bananas, but only when they're still green around the edges. I rarely eat my way through a bunch before they turn me off, and the last one that I stuff in my mouth is always met with regret. Thankfully you can still bake with bananas when they're past their prime. In fact, that's exactly how you want them to be: deep yellow and loaded with black spots. This week I mashed up three of 'em and and turned a favorite banana cake recipe into a bundt.

I usually pair my banana cakes with walnuts, but there must have been a run on walnuts at the grocer, so I grabbed a bag of cashews instead. Toasting the cashews briefly helps to bring out the flavor of this delicate nut, and the sweetness of the cashews goes well with the sweet banana. To that mix I also threw in a handful of shredded sweetened coconut, which added great texture and a bit of tropics to match the banana.

I would have left this super moist cake alone but after unmolding it onto a plate, I was face to face with the results of my hasty pan grease. It took a few seconds to sink in that the impeccable surface of my cake was still attached to the inside of the pan. Oh well. Dusting of sugar to cover it up? No, too boring. To top it off, I drizzled on a sock-it-to-me glaze of dark rum and powdered sugar. Now that most definitely helped me forget my little misstep.

Recipe Details

Rum Glazed Banana Bundt Cake Recipe

Active 10 mins
Total 4 hrs
Makes 1 bundt cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (14 ounces) packed light brown sugar
  • 16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/3 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups (12 ounces) cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cashews, toasted and coarse chopped
  • 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) confectioners' sugar
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons dark rum

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan.

  2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat sugar, butter, and salt on medium speed until lightened, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.

  3. In medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in nuts and coconut.

  4. Spoon batter into pan and bake until just firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto wire rack to cool completely before glazing.

  5. In small bowl, stir confectioners' sugar with rum. Drizzle over cake. Let set, about 15 minutes.

Special equipment

10 to 12-cup bundt pan, mixer