Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana Upside Down Cake

By srumbel

Drenched in peanut-buttery goodness, this dense chocolate upside down cake gets better with every bite.
from tasteofsouthmagazine.com

Ingredients

• Topping
• 1 ⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 ⁄4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 ⁄4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 bananas, sliced 1⁄4-inch thick
• Cake
• 1 ⁄2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 ⁄4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ⁄2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°.
For topping: In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and peanut butter until smooth. Bring to a boil; stir in 1 tablespoon water and vanilla until combined. Cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Arrange banana slices over caramel. Set aside.
For cake: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg and peanut butter, beating to combine.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in vanilla until combined. Spoon batter over banana in skillet, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 40 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Carefully invert onto a flat serving plate.
Yield: 1 (10-inch) cake