Apricot Upside Down Cake

 

 

 I just love upside down cakes! I think they are a great way to make really tasty fruit desserts regardless of what is in season. This was not always the case. As a child I was very excited about anything that could be eaten and had the phrase "upside down" involved. That was until I had a crazy weird upside down rum cake that tasted like candle wax with a side of indigestion. 

I have overcome the situation and reignited my love for these cakes. 

Apricots are just a delightful fruit. A bit like a peach's forgotten step sister, these little beauties are just perfect to eat plain or put in a cake. The sweet sugar topping really intensifies the flavor of the apricots making this cake something extra special.

1/4 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons of butter, melted

8 to 12 apricots, halved

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 vegetable oil

1 egg

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

 1 1/2 cups flour

First, measure some parchment paper to fit into a 9 inch cake pan. Cut out the parchment and spray the top with cooking spray. This will ensure the cake will have no chance of sticking. 

Combine the brown sugar and the melted butter in a small bowl. Then pour this over the parchment. This will give the cake a beautiful sheen and the apricots a sweet buttery glaze. 

 

Squish in your halved apricots. The number you use will depend on the size of the apricots and how they fit into the pan. Mine fit perfectly with a bit of encouragement, but I had plenty of extras in case they didn't. The apricots look so cute, don't they? It's almost like they are little cherub cheeks!

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients in order, mixing well after each addition. If you were really ambitious, you could combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl before adding it to the wet ingredients. I did not, so I will not ask you to do such things. 

Pour the batter over the top of the apricots. Tap the pan on the counter to bring all the air bubbles to the surface. 

Bake the cake for about 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You will know the cake is done when a cake tester comes out mostly clean. There can be crumbs, but no gooey batter.

Let the cake cool until you can safely touch the pan with your bare hand. When that time comes, you are ready to flip over your cake. Put a plate over the cake pan and flip the whole thing over. Take off the parchment and admire the delicious, butter sauce swimming over the top of the cake.