Doughnut Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 12 mini doughnuts
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 egg

Directions

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the butter in a 9-inch square pan or a 9x13 inch rectangle pan and slide it into the oven to melt; the rectangle pan, if you go that route, will make a thinner cake, while the square pan may not need all the mini doughnuts. Scatter the brown sugar in an even layer over the melted butter, then set the mini doughnuts on top in neat rows.
2. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the remaining ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl the whole time. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 3 minutes, stopping now and then to scrape down the bowl. Slowly pour the batter over the doughnuts, taking care not to nudge them out of place.
3. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
4. As soon as it comes out of the oven, set a heatproof serving plate upside down on the pan, then flip the plate and pan together. Let the pan stay in place over the cake for a few minutes, giving the brown sugar mixture time to run down over the top, then lift off the pan. Serve warm; this cake is at its best the day it is baked. Store it loosely covered.