APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Apricot Upside-Down Cake image

Apricot halves, baked in a faux caramel of melted butter, brown sugar and spices, burst with punchy flavor in every bite of this cake. The sticky topping complements the almost-tart, fleshy stone fruit, and offers a textural contrast to the buttery cake. A hint of almond further accentuates the apricot flavor. This rustic beauty is perfect by itself, but you can serve it with whipped cream or ice cream, if you want to be fancy.

Provided by Vallery Lomas

Time 1h15m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

4 tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
Flour, for dusting
1/2 cup/110 grams light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
8 medium apricots, rinsed and dried (about 1 pound)
1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
1/2 cup/55 grams almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup/135 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup/120 milliliters whole milk

Steps:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping: Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread the brown sugary mix in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Arrange the apricots, flesh-side down, evenly over the bottom of the pan.
Prepare the cake batter: Add the flour to a medium bowl. Sift in the almond flour, then use your fingertips to break up any clumps that don't fit through the sieve. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine.
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium until combined and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the milk, mixing to combine. Continue alternating the additions of flour and milk and mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl, just until all is combined. (Make sure not to overmix during this step.)
Spread the batter in an even layer over the apricot halves. Bake until the cake is set and doesn't jiggle when shaken, is golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Remove pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. With the cake still in the pan, turn the pan over onto a serving platter. Wait 1 minute, then remove the pan. This cake is excellent warm, but it's also delicious at room temperature.