Caramelized Banana Upside Down Cake

Cut parchment paper to match the pot's bottom size. Slice bananas in half lengthwise and arrange them, cut side down, on a cutting board as closely as possible. Cover the bananas with the parchment paper, trim any excess from the edges, and set aside the remaining bananas. Place the paper into pot and arrange bananas closely with cut side facing down.

In a small saucepan, add granulated sugar and water to make Caramel Sauce. Continuously tilt and rotate over [MED] heat until caramelized. Once the sugar mixture turns brown, remove from the heat, stir in heavy cream with a pinch of salt, and then pour the sauce evenly over bananas.

Mash the remaining bananas in a bowl using a fork. In a separate bowl, add butter, cane sugar, and eggs in that order and combine well until incorporated, then combine the mixture with the bananas. Gently fold the sifted flour and baking powder into the banana mixture, then mix in pecan nuts.

Preheat oven to 360°F. Spread the mixture from Step 3 into the pot and bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, place a sheet of parchment paper and a weight on top. Let rest for 40 minutes.

Remove the cake and flip onto a plate, banana-side facing up. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and use a torch to caramelize the top.