Pecan Upside-Down Cake

I woke up this morning craving the gooey, sticky pecan rolls from Panera Bread. That was a bit of a problem since the closest Panera from my house is about 30 miles away.

I didn't want to waste the time and gas to get one. That left me with the alternative of making some. I started looking through recipes and had no luck finding a "quick" version that didn't take a lot of kneading and rising time for a yeast based dough.

Then I got to thinking, why not just turn it into an upside-down cake. This turned out to be a delicious breakfast and will also double as tonight's dessert after dinner.

Pecan Upside-Down Cake


Cake (modified from Paula Deen's Pineapple Upside Down Cake):
1/2 C shortening
1 C + 2 tbsp. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 C cake flour
5/8 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Alternatively add the flour and buttermilk in parts, mixing well after each addition.

Sticky Caramel Pecans:
1/2 C butter, melted
1/4 C dark brown sugar
1/4 C light brown sugar
1/4 C dark corn syrup
1 C pecan halves or pieces

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Spread evenly into a 12 inch cast iron skillet or cake pan. (I melted the butter in the cast iron skillet on the stove, then mixed everything directly in the skillet).

Top the pecan mixture with cake batter, distributing it evenly oven the pecans. I sprinkled additional cinnamon on the top and swirled it through the batter with a toothpick.

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

**You could also include raisins or dried cranberries into the sticky pecans**