Meyer Lemon Upside Down Cake w/ Rosemary

What is with me and these upside down cakes?
I love them.

Visually, they are so attractive, and there is something wonderful about that candied fruit on top that makes me happy.
I am weird, but we know this already.

My neighbor brings me back Meyer lemons from her mom's tree in Arizona every winter, and what a treat!
Fresh picked from the tree to me.

Here, I made an upside down cake w/ the sweet, huge lemons.
You can use blood oranges here too if you like, like I did last year, or any other citrus.

I used a little more butter than the original recipe calls for to assure a super moist cake, and added in fresh rosemary, because herbs and lemons go well together.

This is a much tarter cake than my blood orange upside down cake, you have to be a lemon lover......just a heads up!

Pucker up!

Meyer Lemon Upside Down Cake: (adapted from Food Librarian & L.A. Times)

3 large Meyer lemons
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks of butter (3/4 cup), divided
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp of freshly chopped rosemary

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Slice the lemons into thin slices and remove pits....not fun, but it goes quickly. I suggest a serrated bread knife to slice thru the lemons for even cuts.

Heat 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a 9 1/2 inch cast iron skillet until melted.
Brush the sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is combined with the butter and spread it into an even layer with a silicone spatula. It will look like a nice caramel.

Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

Cut the remaining 8 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the white sugar, vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
You know I rarely take out my mixer, you can do this with your muscles.

Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

You will have a nice creamy yellow batter. Using the silicone spatula, carefully spread the batter over the lemon slices in the pan.

A good idea is to place a cookie sheet on the bottom shelf of your oven, to catch any sugary caramel spills (which always happens to me when making upside down cake).

Place cast iron skillet in oven, on middle rack.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Let rest ONLY 5 minutes, or it will surely stick and be difficult to release from pan.

Using 2 oven mitts, (careful the pan is VERY hot!), invert onto a cooling rack.
Mine came out of the skillet like a dream.

This cake is best after a few hours, when the candied lemon slices have firmed up a bit.

Cut with a serrated knife for easier slicing.

This is the PERFECT winter cake.

Enjoy!