Banana-Pecan Upside-Down Cake

A variation of the traditional Pineapple Upside-Down Cake (which can be found here http://www.recipezaar.com/pineapple-upside-down-cake-408537)

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 6 large slices

Ingredients

• TOPPING

• 160  g demerara sugar
• 55  g unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon honey
• 1  cup pecans, crushed
• 2  large bananas, sliced

• CAKE BATTER

• 200  g self-raising flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 100  g caster sugar
• 60  g demerara sugar
• 110  g unsalted butter
• 2  eggs, separated
• 1  teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  almond essence
• 120  ml milk

Directions

1. Pre-heat an oven to 175 degrees and spray a 9 inch cake tin with non-stick spray (or grease with butter).
2. For the topping, melt the butter over a medium heat with the sugar until the sugar dissolves and it begins to form a smooth caramel. Pour over the base of the cake tin and sprinkle the crushed pecans over this. Place the sliced bananas on the caramel-nut mixture, pour honey over this and then sprinkle with cinnamon and set aside for later.
3. For the cake batter, sift the flour, baking powder & salt into a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and almond extract, 2 egg yolks and beat well.
5. In another separate bowl, whisk the 2 egg whites until stiff.
6. Fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 2 steps and add the milk to this mixture. Fold in the beaten egg-whites.
7. Pour the cake mixture on top of the bananas and bake in the oven for approx 35 minutes, or until the top of the cake is brown and the edges have begun to come away from the tin. Remove from the oven and let it cool, loosen the edges of the cake from the tin and then turn upside down onto a serving plate.