Apricot Almond Upside-Down Cake

from the San Francisco Chronicle
via Sue Gilbert

serves 8 – 12

Food styled by Troy Sawaisanyakorn; Photo by Craig Lee

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

8 Blenheim apricots, halved

⅔ cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder pinch salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for buttering pan

⅓ cup white sugar

6 ounces almond paste

3 extra-large eggs

Grated zest of one orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon of almond extract

Preheat oven to 325° F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch deep round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Scatter the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan, patting it into a thin layer. Arrange the apricot halves cut side down on the brown sugar.

Sift together flour baking powder and salt.

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add the almond paste a little at a time, beating until creamy. Beat in orange zest, orange rind and vanilla and almond extracts. To this mixture, add the flour mixture and mix well. Pour batter over the fruit.

Bake 45 – 55 minutes until the top is golden brown and the cake starts to pull away from the sides. Let cool 30 minutes and then invert on a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with slightly sweetened whipped cream if desired.

Very yummy and popular cake! If it isn’t apricot season, plums can be substituted. You will want to prick the plum skins with a fork.