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Nectarine
Upside-Down Cake
Upside-down cake is the dessert world's equivalent
to everyone's favorite breakfast treat: sticky buns.
Just as sticky buns bake in a pool of sugar, butter
and raisins, then are flipped over so all that
lovely sticky sweetness is on top, so does the
appropriately named upside-down cake. Butter, sugar
and fruit are arranged in a pan, the cake batter
poured over it, and after baking the cake is turned
upside down, revealing a moist, sweet fruit topping.
Pineapple upside-down cake is a long-time favorite
in this genre, but other fruits serve equally well
in place of pineapple. Try cherries and almonds,
apples, or pears. Here unpeeled nectarines lend a
real summery taste to this year-round treat.
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large ripe nectarines
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 egg
Melt 4 tablespoons butter, and mix with brown sugar,
nutmeg and cinnamon. Spoon into an ungreased 8 x
8-inch square baking pan.
Slice nectarines 1/4-inch thick. Lay slices into
prepared pan, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Set
aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter or margarine
and sugar, then beat in milk, egg, and vanilla or
almond extract. Stir in flour, baking powder and
salt. Pour batter over fruit in pan.
Bake cake in a preheated 375°F oven for 45 minutes,
or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan,
and springs back to the touch. Remove from oven, and
cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Invert pan onto a
serving platter, and let sit 1 minute more before
removing pan. If any fruit sticks to pan, use a
spatula to carefully scrape it off and replace it on
the cake. Serve warm, with whipped cream or ice
cream, if desired.
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