Upside-Down Bananas Foster Cake

The Cake Mix Doctor, p. 102

TOPPING:

1/3 cup butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons light rum

3 cups bananas, cut on the diagonal about 1/3 inch thick (from 3 large bananas)

CAKE:

1 package (18.5 ounces) butter recipe golden cake mix

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 ½ cups whole milk

2 large eggs

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.

Prepare the topping. Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat the skillet over low heat to melt the butter. Remove the skillet from the heat and, with a fork, spread the mixture out evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Arrange the banana slices over the bottom of the skillet so they cover it well.

Three bananas wasn't quite enough to cover the whole bottom of the pan for me.

Place the cake mix, melted butter, milk, eggs, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speech for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look creamy and smooth. 

Pre-mixing - ready to get so, so smooth.

Pour the batter on top of the bananas in the skillet, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the skillet in the oven.

Bake the cake until it rises high in the skillet and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 43 to 47 minutes. 

Such promise for a pretty, delicious cake.

Remove the skillet from the oven and run a long sharp knife around the edge. Carefully invert the skillet onto a heatproof serving plate. The cake should release itself from the skillet. 

MY ASS IT SHOULD RELEASE ITSELF FROM THE SKILLET.

If it does not, simply run the knife around the side of the pan one more time and let the skillet rest on the plate until the cake releases. Lift off the skillet. This cake is best served warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, so slice and serve at once.

If serving this cake later in the day, let it cool on a platter and cover it with plastic wrap. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Slice and serve it at room temperature or reheat it, uncovered, in a microwave oven on high power for about 30 seconds. 

My Rating: 4/5 "Ok - I'll admit I was mad that it all fell apart when I tried to get it out of the pan. I was madder than I should have been, especially since I was cooking it for just us. But that said, flavor- and texture-wise this is one of the best cakes I've ever made. It's moist and fluffy and the sauce compliments the cake wonderfully. Try it and see if you have better luck than I did with the removal process."