upside-down chocolate chip cake

A guest requested this recipe... so simple because the topping bakes in the oven at the same time as the cake. Just a quick sprinkle of chocolate chips while still warm from the oven and you're done. It was a $400.00 prize winner in a Better Homes and Gardens April 2000 Recipe Contest.  

Chocolate Chip Upside-Down Cake

3 tbsp butter

½ c packed brown sugar

4 tsp water

½ c coconut

½ c coarsely chopped pecans

1 c all-purpose flour (I use w.w. pastry flour.)

2/3 c sugar

½ c unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ c packed brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ c milk

¼ c butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

¾ c semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the 3 tbsp butter in a small pan. Stir in the ½ c brown sugar and the water. Spread in bottom of 9 x 1-1/2 inch springform pan. (I found it helpful to line the pan with unbleached parchment paper then spread the brown sugar/butter mixture on top of the paper. It makes removal of the cake from the pan so easy. Cut it large enough so that the paper comes up along the sides just a bit to prevent the topping mixture from leaking out and dripping onto the bottom of your oven.) Sprinkle coconut and pecans in the pan. Set pan aside.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, the ¼ c brown sugar, and the baking powder. Add milk, the ¼ c butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. By hand, stir in ½ c of the chocolate chips. (I don’t mix the chips in by hand. I toss them in to let the mixer do a fast job of it.) Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen sides of springform pan then invert onto a plate. Immediately sprinkle remaining chocolate chips over the topping. Let stand about ½ hour before slicing. Serve warm.