Bon Appetit Desserts (21 page)

Bake until cake is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together and turn over. Gently lift pan off cake. Serve warm.

Caramel-Walnut Upside-Down Banana Cake

A new twist on pineapple upside-down cake: Walnuts replace the pineapple atop a super-moist banana cake, and a brown sugar caramel drips down the sides.
6 to 8 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons dark corn syrup

¾ cup walnut halves or pieces

1¾ cups cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

TOPPING:
Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Bring butter, sugar, and corn syrup to boil in medium saucepan, stirring constantly until butter melts. Boil syrup 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread topping in prepared pan. Let topping cool completely.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed bananas, sour cream, rum, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions just until combined. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Run small knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over. Let stand 5 minutes, then gently lift pan off cake. Cool at least 15 minutes for topping to set. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Plum-Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

Upside-down cake, an old-fashioned favorite, is given a lustrous new look with plums and fresh blueberries.
8 servings

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

4 plums, pitted, cut into ½ inch wedges

1 ½-pint container blueberries

1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

TOPPING:
Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar; whisk until well blended. Pour syrup into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides, spreading to cover bottom evenly. Lightly press plums into syrup in circle around edge of pan. Spread berries in center.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

CAKE:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter in another medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar to butter and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Stir dry ingredients and milk alternately into butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Spoon batter over topping in pan.

Bake cake until top is golden and firm and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over. Let stand 3 minutes, then gently lift pan off cake. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

Pineapple Upside-Down Pumpkin Gingerbread

Upside-down cake gets warmed up for autumn with the addition of pumpkin, molasses, and a mix of spices. To peel the pineapple, use a large serrated knife to cut through the tough skin with ease. Using round cookie cutters of different sizes to cut the pineapple pieces is a clever twist that adds a modern look.
10 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

⅔ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed

1 teaspoon mild-flavored (light) molasses

1 ripe pineapple, peeled

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

½ cup canned pure pumpkin

½ cup boiling water

Whipped cream

TOPPING:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9×9×2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, butter, pineapple juice concentrate, and molasses in heavy small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves and syrup is smooth; boil 1 minute. Pour evenly into prepared pan.