Pineapple Banana Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup chopped pecans, optional
• 2 cups (approx. 20 ounce can) crushed pineapple in its own juice, drained
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups very ripe mashed bananas
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• Whipped cream or ice cream, optional
• Pineapple flavored hard candies, crushed, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with a cooking spray. Pour in the melted butter or margarine and turn pan to coat bottom evenly. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar. Scatter pecans evenly over the sugar. Add well-drained crushed pineapple evenly over the nuts. You may use more than 2 cups if you wish. (I sometimes use a small can in addition to the tall one. Makes it very “pineappley.”) Combine eggs and bananas until smooth. Add dry cake mix and beat on low speed until moistened. Then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Spoon carefuly over the pineapple layer. Bake until the top springs back when lightly touched with the fingertips, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for a few minutes and then turn out onto a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan to complete cooling. May serve warm or cool. Whipped cream or ice cream make wonderful toppers. Sprinkle with some pineapple flavored crushed hard candies for garnish, if desired.

NOTE: For plain Pineapple Upside Down Cake, omit the bananas and substitute sour cream in the cake batter instead.