Chocolate-Caramel-Banana Upside-Down Cake
Topping
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
¾
cup packed light brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
Cake
¾
cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
¾
teaspoon baking soda
¼
teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅔
cup buttermilk
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch round nonstick pan.
For the topping: Heat the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. When the butter foams, whisk in the brown sugar, turn the heat to low, and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth with a spatula. Arrange the banana slices in concentric circles on top of the sugar mixture. Set aside.
For the cake: Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Increase the mixer speed to high, and beat until the mixture is light and increased in volume, about 2 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed to low, and stir in the vanilla. Stir in one-third of the flour mixture. Stir in half the buttermilk. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat the batter on high speed for 30 seconds.
Pour the batter over the bananas, gently spreading it into an even layer.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack, and let cool 5 minutes. Holding the pan and a plate together with oven mitts, immediately invert the hot cake onto the plate. If necessary, gently remove any fruit stuck to the pan and replace on cake. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes, and serve warm or at room temperature, with ice cream.
Store in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to two days.
Serves eight.
"Cake Keeper Cakes" by Lauren Chattman (The Taunton Press, 2009)