Sweet Licks

Herb Alpert, the Latin-influenced jazz-pop trumpeter and bandleader who topped the charts in the ‘60s and ‘70s with the Tijuana Brass, has taken home seven Grammy Awards during his four-decade career. And if all goes well tonight at Staples Center, he will need to make room on the mantel for No. 8--he’s nominated for a tune called “Chasing Shadows.”

Although Alpert is best known for his music, the Los Angeles native has piled a lot on his plate during the last 40 years as a record company mogul (A&M; Records), Broadway producer (“Angels in America”), Abstract Expressionist painter and philanthropist. Just last year, he added restaurateur to his credits when he opened Vibrato, a grill and jazz club at the top of Beverly Glen, with the Pasadena-based Smith Brothers Restaurant Corp.

That may not come as much of a surprise to anyone who remembers Alpert’s 1965 breakthrough album “Whipped Cream & Other Delights,” a food-themed album with a track listing that reads like a shopping list (“Whipped Cream,” “Ladyfingers” and “Peanuts,” to name a few). One song, “A Taste of Honey,” won him his first three Grammys. But what made it memorable to legions of American males was an album cover that pictured a young woman wearing nothing more than whipped cream.

“At the time my partner and I both thought it was pushing the envelope,” Alpert says of the dairy-clad dame. “A lot of people did come up to me, and they were particularly crazy about it--not necessarily the record but the album cover.”

As for the countless meals he’s consumed on the road, he says “the food [at a jazz club] has always been a kind of second-class citizen. It’s the music first, and then let’s throw a pizza on or something.”

Now Alpert, who once hoped to open a place with his buddy Stan Getz, the late jazz saxophonist, has an upscale jazz club with food to match. “I was involved in everything,” he says. “The look, the feeling of the place, the music, the food. I was very concerned that the acoustics be beautiful.” For the right sound, he hired the acoustical engineer who worked on his A&M; studios. For the right menu, he tapped Sharon Funt, formerly of Nick & Stef’s, as executive chef.

And what does the man who topped the charts with a dessert-topping title have for dessert at his restaurant? “We keep changing the menu,” he says. “But at the moment there’s Upside-Down Banana Cake, which is quite good.” It’s served with whipped cream.

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Upside-Down Banana Cake

From Vibrato executive chef Sharon Funt

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake or 7 (3 1/2-inch) cakes

CARAMEL SAUCE

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature

2 tablespoons butter, softened

Place the sugar and water in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Over medium heat and without stirring, melt the sugar and cook until it reaches a dark golden caramel color, about 15 minutes. Brush down the sides of the pan with water to remove any sugar granules. Remove from heat and whisk in heavy cream carefully, as mixture will bubble up. Whisk in butter until melted and smooth. Set aside. Makes 1 cup.

CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup clarified butter, chilled

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

Butter, to grease the pans

Caramel sauce

2 to 3 ripe bananas

Whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk. Mix on medium speed until thoroughly combined and smooth, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in the dry ingredients until smooth.

For a 10-inch cake, heavily butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch cake pan or use a nonstick cake pan. Spoon the caramel sauce into the pan and spread to fill the bottom. Cut the bananas into 1/2-inch slices and lay in a circular pattern in the bottom of the pan. Without disturbing the banana slices, carefully pour the batter into the pan and spread to the edges. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake sit for 5 minutes, then loosen the sides and invert onto a cake plate. Serve with whipped cream.

For 3 1/2-inch cakes, heavily butter the bottom and sides of 7 extra-large muffin tins. Spoon 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce into each tin. Reserve remaining caramel to serve on the side. Cut 2 bananas into 1/2-inch slices and fit 4 to 6 slices on top of the caramel. Pour 1/3 cup batter into each tin. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cakes sit for 5 minutes, then loosen sides and invert onto a large serving plate. Serve with whipped cream.