This Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Banana Cake is finished with a delicious Salted Caramel Topping!
This banana cake is baked with chocolate sandwich cookies then inverted onto a serving platter and topped with a thick salted caramel sauce. I used my favorite banana bread recipe with a few minor tweaks to scale it down and make it more cake-like.
I am so excited about this recipe because it is SO good and finally something just...different. I made it up on a whim, after zipping up a large bag of chocolate sandwich cookies thinking "how much longer are these cookies going to be in my cabinet!?" Then as I shut the cabinet door, I looked over to the bananas hanging from my fruit basket and was reminded how I needed to bake banana *something* that day so those beautifully ripened bananas wouldn't go to waste. (And I was too lazy to freeze them.)
It may seem like an unusual dessert, but if you think about it, all of the flavors are perfect together. Banana, chocolate and caramel. Banana cake, chocolate cookies and caramel sauce. I do not recommend Oreo cookies, but rather the old fashioned chocolate fudge sandwich cookies instead. In other words, buy the cheap cookies. You want the more mild chocolate taste so not to overpower the rest of the cake. I used the cheap "Psst" brand of chocolate fudge sandwich cookies from Kroger.
You treat this much like an upside down cake. Pour the banana cake batter into the pan, top with a layer of cookies, then bake. After it cools for about 20 minutes, flip it over on a serving platter so the cookies are on the bottom.
Then take your caramel topping (I used and LOVED the new Salted Caramel Topping from Smuckers) and spread it evenly over top, slice and EAT! Eat it warm or at room temperature. Maybe even with a scoop of ice cream! I have no idea how you should store it because our leftovers were sent over to our neighbors. (I'm guessing you might want to refrigerate.) 😉
Recipe Card
Chocolate Cookie Banana Cake with Salted Caramel Topping
Ingredients
- 28 chocolate fudge sandwich cookies
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups very ripe , peeled and mashed, bananas (about 4 medium)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 11.5 oz jar Smuckers Salted Caramel Topping (or your favorite caramel topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease two round cake pans with nonstick baking spray (I recommend Baker's Joy).
- Place 14 of the sandwich cookies into each cake pan in a single layer; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. Using either a stand mixer or a food processor, place the eggs and sugar in the work bowl and process/mix about 1 minute. Add the butter and process/mix until the butter is thoroughly combined with the eggs and sugar. Stir in the banana and lemon juice, process/mix until blended. Add the flour mixture and stir/pulse just until dry ingredients almost disappear.
- Pour the batter evenly divided into the two cake pans, over top the sandwich cookies. Spread so the mixture is level. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter so the cookies are on the bottom of the cake. Spread half of the caramel topping evenly over one cake, repeat with the remaining caramel topping over the second cake.
- Serve immediately.
