Fresh Apricot Upside-Down Cake
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 10 or 11 small (2- to 2 1/4-inch) fresh apricots (1 1/4 lb), halved lengthwise and pitted
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
- 3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
- Special equipment: a 10-inchwell-seasoned cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet (at least 2 inches deep)
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Heat butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides.
- Reduce heat to low and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter, then cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all of sugar will be melted).
- Remove skillet from heat and arrange apricot halves, cut sides down, close together on top of brown sugar.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt into a small bowl.
- Beat together butter, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes in a standing mixer or 3 to 4 minutes with a handheld.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat until mixture is creamy and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beat just until combined.
- Gently spoon batter over apricots and spread evenly.
- If your skillet isn't ovenproof, wrap handle with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) before baking.
- Bake cake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
- Wearing oven mitts, immediately invert a large plate over skillet and, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate.
- Carefully lift skillet off cake and, if necessary, replace any fruit that is stuck to bottom of skillet.
- Cool to warm or room temperature.
butter, brown sugar, fresh apricots, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, eggs, wellshaken buttermilk, castiron
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fresh-apricot-upside-down-cake-108370 (may not work)