Summer Upside-Down Cake

I yearn for summer.  I want to have the windows open and forget my coat.  While it will still be some months before the fresh Niagara fruits are available, I wanted to make sure that I shared this recipe for when the time is ripe...  It is also quite satisfying with pears or apples, which are available year round.  And it is easy to put together and pop into the oven when guests sit down for dinner, so it is oozing and ready when the meal is done.  You can serve with ice cream or whipped cream if you wish.

Summer Upside-Down Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed
enough fruit to cover the bottom of a 9x2 inch round pan*
1 c sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 white flour
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp b powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt or sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt 1/4 c butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat, stirring to combine.  Pour into a 9x2 inch round pan, spread evenly, and arrange fruit, cut side up, to cover the bottom.

Melt remaining 1/2 c butter.  Combine with sugar, eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth (2 minutes).  Reduce mixer to low speed and add flour, b powder and salt, mixing until just combined.  Scrape sides and add yogurt or sour cream, mixing again until just combined.  Spread evenly over fruit.

Bake until lightly brown and done through, approximately 1 hour.  Cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cake plate.**  Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

*  I have made it with halved pears and dried cranberries (reduce the sugar a bit), halved peaches, plums,  apricots and nectarines.  I think it would be great with cherries, although I am much too lazy to pit and halve them.  And it might work to sprinkle with pecans or walnuts as well.

**  Place the cake plate on top of the cake pan and flip quickly.  Then lift the cake pan up and away gently.