Roasted Banana Bars with Maple Glaze

For the roasted bananas:

Preheat oven to 400°F and arrange bananas in a single layer in a baking dish; sprinkle with brown sugar and diced butter. Roast for 25 minutes, gently stirring mixture halfway through. Cool slightly.

For the bars:

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, banana, and vanilla.

In a large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Reduce speed to low and add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; beat just until combined. Add buttermilk mixture, then finish with remaining flour mixture.

Gently fold in roasted banana, then pour mixture into prepared baking dish and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

For the glaze:

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a small bowl, sift powdered sugar; whisk in browned butter, maple syrup, and milk until smooth.

Pour over cake and spread evenly with an offset spatula, then sprinkle with toasted pecans. Let glaze set before cutting into bars.

Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.