Peach and Blueberry Upside Down Cake

 I'm always enthused about upside down cakes but inevitably wind up disappointed... too dry, not fruity enough, bland etc. This summer I was attracted to a recipe from the Good Housekeeping 2002 Annual Cookbook mainly because one of the ingredients was cornmeal. This cake turned out dreamy... moist, fruity, a bit crunchy from the cornmeal- a delightful change of pace from the usual upside down cake.
For the topping:
1/2 cup toasted pecans
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 T unsalted butter
3 ripe peaches, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

For the cake:
1 1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

For the topping: In a 10" cast iron skilled, melt brown sugar with 4 T butter over low heat until sugar melts, about 2 or 3 minutes. Throw the pecans over this (breaking them up a little with your hand) and then arrange the peach slices in concentric circles.

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350º. Sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and white. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. Add vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk in three additions, starting and ending with the flour. Fold in the blueberries gently. Spoon batter over the peaches and bake for about 50 minutes. Cool cake for 10 minutes and then invert onto a plate. This step is terrifying because I always envision half the cake stuck in the pan and half inflicting 3rd degree burns all down the front of me, but alas, it came out beautifully and I remain unharmed.