Upside Down Pecan Pumpkin Cake

UPSIDE DOWN PECAN PUMPKIN CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Pecan topping:

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• Pinch of salt

Pumpkin cake:

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 (15oz) can pumpkin
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a bundt pan with cooking spray or grease with butter.
2. Add butter to a medium saucepan and melt over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, maple syrup, pecans and salt, mixing well.
3. Pour into prepared bundt pan.
4. Make the cake: Whisk together oil, applesauce and sugars in a bowl until combined.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk in pumpkin and vanilla.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
7. Add to pumpkin mixture, stirring until no flour remains.
8. Pour over pecans in bundt pan.
9. Bake for 55-75 minutes until top springs back and a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean.
10. Let cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan.
11. Carefully flip onto a large serving plate.