Sweet and gooey pecan upside down cake is a fun twist on traditional upside down cake recipes. It tastes similar to a classic pecan pie, but with a layer of spongey yellow cake.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out a 10-12 inch deep dish cast-iron sauté pan. *This needs to be deeper than a classic skillet. You can use another oven-safe sauté pan of the same size, but I prefer cast-iron! You can also make the topping in a skillet then transfer it to a 10 inch springform to bake.
Set the sauté pan over medium heat. Then add in the chopped pecans, ½ cup of butter, light brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, and ground cinnamon. As the butter melts, stir the mixture until it comes to a light simmer, about 3 to 5 minutes . Once the sugar is fully dissolved, turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, set out a mixing bowl. Combine the yellow cake mix, three eggs, and buttermilk. Melt the remaining ½ cup of butter and add it to the bowl. Whisk well until the cake mixture is completely smooth.
Spoon the batter evenly over the top of the pecan mixture in the cast iron skillet.
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the center of the cake is puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the upside down cake to cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan. Then carefully flip the cake out onto a cake stand or cake plate. If any remaining pecan mixture sticks to the pan, scoop it out and spoon it back in its place.
Notes
Serve warm or at room temperature, as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.To store: Lightly cover the cake with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.