Upside-Down Bananas Foster Cake

Topping:

1/3 C. butter

1 C. packed light brown sugar

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

2 T. light rum

3 C. sliced bananas, cut on the diagonal about 1/3-inch thick (from 3 large bananas)

Cake:

1 18.5-ounce package butter recipe golden cake mix

8 T. butter, melted

1 1/2 C. whole milk

2 large eggs

4 t. fresh lemon juice

Topping: Place the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet and heat the skillet over low heat to melt the butter. Remove the skillet from the heat and, with a fork, stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and rum. Using the fork, spread the mixture out evenly in the bottom of the skillet. Arrange the banana slices over the bottom of the skillet so they cover it well.

Cake: Place the cake mix, melted butter, milk, eggs and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look creamy and smooth. Pour the batter on top of the bananas in the skillet, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the skillet on a rack in the center of a 350° F. oven.

Bake the cake until it rises high in the skillet and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 43-47 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and run a long sharp knife around the edge. Carefully invert the skillet onto a heatproof serving plate. The cake should release itself from the skillet. If it does not, simply run the knife around the side of the pan one more time and let the skillet rest on the plate until the cake releases. Lift off the skillet. This cake is best served warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, so slice and serve at once.

If serving this cake later in the day, let it cool on a platter and cover it with plastic wrap. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Slice and serve it at room temperature or reheat it, uncovered, in a microwave oven on high power for about 30 seconds.