Whiteley Creek Homestead

This cake recipe is so simple because the topping bakes in the oven at the same time as the cake. Just a quick sprinkle of chocolate chips while still warm from the oven and you're done. It was a $400.00 prize winner in a Better Homes and Gardens April 2000 Recipe Contest.   

Chocolate Chip Upside-Down Cake

Cake Topping:

3 tbsp butter

½ c packed brown sugar

4 tsp water

½ c coconut

½ c coarsely chopped pecans

Cake:

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ c milk

1 c all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour.)

1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

For topping, melt butter in a small pan. Stir in brown sugar and water. Spread in bottom of 9 x 1-1/2 inch springform pan. (I found it helpful to line the pan with unbleached parchment paper then spread the brown sugar/butter mixture on top of the paper. It makes removal of the cake from the pan so easy. Cut it large enough so that the paper comes up along the sides just a bit to prevent the topping mixture from leaking out and dripping onto the bottom of your oven.) Sprinkle coconut and pecans in the pan. Set pan aside. Preheat oven to 350°. For the cake, cream together sugar, brown sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and milk. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to liquid and beat with a mixer on low speed just until combined. Do not overbeat. By hand, stir in ½ c of the chocolate chips. (I don’t mix the chips in by hand. I toss them in to let the mixer do a fast job of it.) Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen sides of springform pan then invert onto a plate. Immediately sprinkle remaining ¼ c. chocolate chips over the topping. Let stand about ½ hour before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Source: http://www.bhg.com