The first upside-down cake that I have ever made was probably a recipe from my brother’s home economics class. I don’t recall why I didn’t take more cooking courses in high school while he did. It was probably because the teacher was especially strict about punctuality. I remembered I went in class about 5 minutes late once (for who remembers for what reason), as it was the first class of the day, and she wouldn’t let me make that day’s recipe. So I could only watch as I sat in the classroom feeling like a failure. Don’t get me wrong, I am usually quite punctual and know its importance. Thinking back, I totally understand why she was strict, but at the same time I think it was too harsh of a “punishment” as it took away the opportunity from me to learn as I was very eager. Besides, we were grade 8 students, and I didn’t come in to class when everyone was half done. Therefore, I advocate for a different consequence, such as spending more time cleaning after school etc.
However, working in a professional kitchen, I came to understand that discipline is everything. From wiping down the counter, organization, time management, to making the most intricate decorations, all comes down to your attitude and work philosophy. I learned that if I want master something, I would need to execute everything little thing well because it is the details that matter the most. This is something I didn’t necessarily learn from school. Well, this went too far from my intended topic…
Every now and then, I like to make simple cakes like this Coconut Peach-Raspberry Upside-Down Cake. I experimented with using coconut flour, and it was delicious. I like to take advantage of the amazing summer fruits to bake tasty treats. Other stone fruits will probably work well too!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1-1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large white peach (about a pound), cut into 8 wedges
- 1/2 cup fresh raspberries
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp baking pwoder
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped (or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut ribbons
- 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of a 8 inch round 3 inch high cake pan with parchment.
- In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar with a spoon, and spread onto the bottom of the prepared pan with an offset spatula. Arrange the peach slices on the bottom, and pack in the raspberries into the gaps. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, coconut flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl, beat butter with 6 tablespoons of sugar, vanilla seeds until mixture is fluffy, and pale in colour. Mix in egg yolks in three additions, mixing well after each time. With a silicone spatula, gently fold in half of the flour mixture, alternating with half of the buttermilk. Mix until just blended, avoid overmixing. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy, gradually add in 1/2 cup of sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Add one-third of the egg whites and fold until incorporated, gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour batter over fruit, smoothing with an offset spatula. Bake, in preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, rotating halfway through. Test doneness with a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake and comes out clean. Cool cake for about 15 minutes, run a small knife or spatula around the edge, carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter, and cool cool completely.
- Garnish with toasted coconut ribbons and raspberries on top before serving.
Nothing fancy but tasty, that’s exactly what I like about these upside-down cakes. This ones has some of my favourite summer fruits: white peaches and raspberries. If coconut is not your thing, replace it with the same amount of all-purpose flour or even almond flour for flavour and richness.
Hope you’re enjoying the last bits of summer before fall is in full swing!
