Dessert for Breakfast... yes please!

So I'm notorious for buying bananas and then letting them sit on the counter until they're all brown and spotty.  I love bananas, don't get me wrong; but it always seems like the sound so much better when I'm shopping rather then when they're in the fruit bowl.  I also have a hatred of wasting food.  It kills me to throw something away, especially if we didn't even touch it.  I wanted to share a recipe I found when trying to use up a few bananas before they spoiled and it's absolutely fantastic!  This cake works as a dessert or as an element to a fantastic brunch (I'm a little obsessed with brunch).

Banana Hazelnut Cake

¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ pound of dark brown sugar
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, chopped, divided
½ cup turbinado or raw cane sugar
2 large bananas
1 stick of butter
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Butter the bottom of a 9” cake pan
-Combine melted butter and dark brown sugar in a pan and heat until incorporated
-Add ½ cup of chopped toasted hazelnuts to the mixture and set aside to cool to room temperature
-Grind the other half of the hazelnuts and turbinado in food processor
-Mash one banana to a creamy paste
-In your stand mixer, combine 1 stick of butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, hazelnut/turbine mixture and banana puree and mix on low for 3 minutes
-Pour caramel topping into the cake pan
-Slice the second banana on a bias and arrange in the pan on top of the caramel topping
-Combine dry ingredients and add to the mixer bowl
-Mix on medium setting for 2 minutes or until batter is incorporated
-Pour into cake pan and spread into a smooth layer
-Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is set
-Turn the cake out onto a plate while it’s still warm so the caramel doesn’t harden to the pan