"I feel the end approaching.
Quick, bring me my dessert, coffee and liqueur."
- Pierette, great-aunt of Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

Banana-Walnut Upside-Down Cake
Bon Appetit March 1996

Topping:
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
4 large ripe bananas, peeled, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons milk
Sweetened whipped cream

For topping: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Combine brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until butter melts
and mixture is well blended. Pour into a 9-inch-diameter cake pan with
2-inch-high sides. Spread to coat bottom of pan. Pour maple syrup over sugar mixture. Sprinkle nuts evenly over. Place banana slices in
concentric circles on nuts, overlapping slightly and covering bottom.
For cake: Stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl to blend. Beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until creamy. Add
egg and vanilla extract; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk in 3 additions. Spoon batter over bananas. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer cake to rack. Run knife around pan sides. Cool cake on rack
30 minutes. Place plate over pan.; invert cake. Let stand 3 minutes, then gently lift off pan. Serve warm with whipped cream.