email this pageEasy but showy, upside-down cakes happily accommodate almost any fruit from orchard or garden—fresh, canned, dried or in combination. All start with a layer of fruit in a sweet, syrupy, buttery glaze in the bottom of a heavy pan or skillet, over which a good cake batter is poured. After baking, in a culinary sleight of hand, the whole shebang is flipped out onto a serving plate. Tada! The fruit underneath is now a gloriously attractive topping. No frosting required.
Berry Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1⁄3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
¼ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1⁄3 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
Instructions
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1⁄3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
¼ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 1⁄3 cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Scatter berries over sugar.
3. Place butter, oil and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg and extracts.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beating at low speed until just combined.
5. Pour batter on top of the berries. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden brown and the sides are bubbly.
6. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes, and invert onto a serving plate. Serves 8.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Flipping Out," Relish Classic Dishes, April 2008.
Nutritional Information
2. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Scatter berries over sugar.
3. Place butter, oil and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg and extracts.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beating at low speed until just combined.
5. Pour batter on top of the berries. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until top is golden brown and the sides are bubbly.
6. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes, and invert onto a serving plate. Serves 8.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Flipping Out," Relish Classic Dishes, April 2008.
Per serving: 290 calories, 13g fat, 25mg chol., 5g prot., 43g carbs., 2g fiber, 320mg sodium.
Lemon Ginger Almond Upside-Down Cake
Thinly sliced lemons turn into a caramelized topping in this intriguing cake.
Ingredients
Ingredients
2 lemons
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup whole almonds
1½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1⁄3 cup butter, softened
2⁄3 cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups reduced-fat buttermilk
Instructions
Cooking spray
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2⁄3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup slivered almonds
½ cup whole almonds
1½ inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1⁄3 cup butter, softened
2⁄3 cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups reduced-fat buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Finely grate lemons; set zest aside. With a sharp knife, remove white pith from lemons. Thinly slice, discarding seeds.
3. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in melted butter. Arrange lemon slices in a concentric pattern over butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and slivered almonds.
4. Place whole almonds, reserved lemon zest and ginger in a food processor; pulse until slightly moist and combined.
5. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg and extracts; beat until blended.
6. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed after each addition.
7. Stir in almond mixture.
8. Pour batter on top of lemons. Bake 45 minutes, until top is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes, and invert onto a serving plate. Serves 8.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Flipping Out," Relish Classic Dishes, April 2008.
Nutritional Information
2. Finely grate lemons; set zest aside. With a sharp knife, remove white pith from lemons. Thinly slice, discarding seeds.
3. Coat a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in melted butter. Arrange lemon slices in a concentric pattern over butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and slivered almonds.
4. Place whole almonds, reserved lemon zest and ginger in a food processor; pulse until slightly moist and combined.
5. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add egg and extracts; beat until blended.
6. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed after each addition.
7. Stir in almond mixture.
8. Pour batter on top of lemons. Bake 45 minutes, until top is golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes, and invert onto a serving plate. Serves 8.
Recipe by Crescent Dragonwagon, "Flipping Out," Relish Classic Dishes, April 2008.
Per serving: 410 calories, 21g fat, 60mg chol., 8g prot., 52g carbs., 3g fiber, 350mg sodium.
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