Maple Upside Down Cake

Best of Class winner at the 2020 Vermont State Farm Show!

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt 4 T. butter in a medium cast iron skillet. Stir in 1/3 cup maple syrup, ( I like Robust), and boil 1 minute. Stir in 1/3 c. maple sugar, and boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, and arrange a single layer of fruit on the hot sugar. I used peeled, sliced apples for my winning Farm Show entry, but we enjoy canned pineapple rings, peaches, and pear slices as well.
Prepare the cake batter by beating 2 eggs, 2/3 c. buttermilk, (can be made by adding a T.
of vinegar or lemon juice to sweet milk), ½ c. maple syrup, and 1/3 c. oil together. Sift 1 c. all purpose flour, ½ c. whole wheat flour, 1 t. baking powder, ½ t. cinnamon, ½ t. baking soda, ½ t. ginger, ½ t. salt, ¼ t. cloves, ¼ t black pepper, and ¼ t. nutmeg together.
Stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Carefully pour the batter overthe fruit, and bake for 30 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes, and invert onto a plate. The juices are very hot! Serve with whipped cream.