Dinner with Friends: Upsidedown Black Forest Cake

So.
I love a good dessert.  I also love an easy dessert.  Frankly, if I can share it with friends so much the better.
Everyday Food ran this recipe a couple of years ago as something to make for dessert with their Valentine's Cooking for Two menu.  Usually, I double everything and make plated desserts when I have people in .  It's easy enough for 4, and it's a large serving.  But I've never had anyone complain...or not finish.
I present to you now Everyday Food's Upsidedown Black Forest Cakes:

Ingredients:

1/2 c butter, softened
2/3 c plus 6 Tbsp packed light-brown sugar
3 c drained jarred sour cherries (plus 2 tsp juice, reserved)
2/3 c flour
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
  2 large egg yolks
  6 Tbsp whole milk
1/2 c heavy cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place 1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp cherry juice in the bottom of each of four 8 oz ramekins. Microwave ramekins until butter and brown sugar are melted and bubbling, about 1 minute. Arrange 3/4 c cherries in a tightly packed layer in the bottom of each ramekin.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In another small bowl, cream together 4 Tbsp butter and 2/3 cup brown sugar until light and fluffy . Stir in egg yolks, then flour mixture and milk. Divide batter between ramekins.
3. Place ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out with only a few crumbs attached. Let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream, and 2 Tbsp brown sugar until soft peaks form. Run a paring knife around edge of each cake and invert onto a plate. Serve cakes with whipped cream.

 Adapted from Everyday Food, Jan/Feb 2010

Here are the cherries, packed into the ramekin.  A jar of cherries will make probably six of these cakes.  I froze the extra cherries and used them later for more cakes.

Ready for the oven!  They don't even need to be smoothed.  But make sure you put them on the baking sheet.  This is *very* important.

Yeah.  See the boil-over?  Always put your ramekins on something in the oven. I ran a knife around the edge, and sometimes needed the knife to persuade the cake to come out.  They aren't always picture perfect, even if they always taste great.

But thankfully, sometimes they do come out picture perfect.  Add whipped cream and eat.  Yum.