Monthly Archives: May 2011

I got the idea to showcase desserts in the upside-down manner from my daughter who loves to hang this way on the monkey bars at the playground.  It’s a very interesting perspective when you look at the world from this view, so great that the same should go for desserts.  Therefore, next time you’re at the park, or even sitting on the sofa at home, hang your head upside-down and enjoy the scenery.  Then go have a piece of cake!

Upside-Down Berry Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, halved

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 package (3 ounces) raspberry gelatin

1-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons canola oil

How To:

1. In a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish, layer the walnuts and berries; sprinkle with sugar, gelatin and marshmallows.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, water and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour over top.
3. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Cocoa-Mango Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

1 medium mango


¼ cup light brown sugar


1 tablespoon honey or corn syrup


2 tablespoons butter


¾ cup all-purpose flour


¾ cup granulated sugar


1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


1 teaspoon baking soda


½ teaspoon ground ginger


¼ teaspoon salt


¾ cup buttermilk


¼ cup canola oil


1 large egg


½ teaspoon vanilla extract


¼ cup apricot preserves, strained


2 tablespoon chopped macadamia nuts or almonds

How To:

1. Place a rack in lower third of oven. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Set a baking sheet on the bottom of the oven to catch any drips.
2. With a paring knife or sharp vegetable peeler, remove the skin from the mango. Slice along the flat central pit to remove the flesh from each side in one large piece. Slice each piece lengthwise into long, thin slices. Set aside.
3. In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar, honey or corn syrup, and the butter. Stir until the mixture is bubbling. Immediately pour it into an 8-inch round cake pan, spreading the mixture evenly over the bottom. Arrange the slices of mango in a spiral pattern over the sugar-butter mixture.
4. Set a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, ginger and salt, then sift them into the bowl. Add the buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture on low just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes longer.
5. Pour the batter over the mango. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted at the center of the cake comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to release it.
6. Invert a serving plate over the cake. Turn both cake and plate over again, letting the cake fall out of the pan onto the plate. Replace any fruit that sticks to the pan.
7. In a small saucepan, heat the preserves until bubbling. Brush over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chopped nuts around the edge of the cake to garnish.

Banana Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients:

2 slightly over-ripe bananas

⅔ cup dark brown sugar

6 tbsp. butter room temperature

1½ cups self rising flour

⅔ cup sugar

¼ cup canola oil

2 eggs

½ cup low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

How To:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

1. Combine room temperature butter and brown sugar. Spread in the bottom of an 8×8 glass dish. Cut bananas in half, then slice lengthwise in ¼-inch slices. Arrange slices in sugar mixture.
2. Sift flour and set aside. Beat sugar and canola oil for 1 minute with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Mix well until a smooth batter has formed.
3. Pour batter over bananas in pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on wire rack; invert onto serving plate. Cool slightly; cut into 12 pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Upside-Down Pear Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature, for pan

Fruit Topping:

1 cup (7 ounces) granulated sugar

3 firm but ripe pears, peeled, cored, and each cut into 12 slices (1 pound prepped)

For Cake:

¼ cup unsalted butter

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¾ cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar

2 eggs

1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup whole milk

Chantilly cream or Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, for serving (optional)

How To:

Butter a 9-inch round baking pan.

1. To make the fruit topping, put the sugar and water in a heavy saucepan (one with a tight-fitting lid) and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then cover and cook for 2 minutes. (Covering in this way allows the steam to wash down the sides of pan, which will prevent any sugar crystals from forming.) Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil the sugar, gently and slowly swirling the pan as needed to cook the caramel evenly, until it becomes a dark amber color. Occasionally wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Carefully pour the caramel into the prepared pan and allow it to harden. The pan will be very hot from the sugar, so take care in moving it if you need to. Fan the pear slices on top of the caramel in a circle around the perimeter, filling in the center with the remaining slices.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. To make the cake, place the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and melt, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Transfer the melted chocolate to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Using a handheld mixer with beaters or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour and scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the cake bounces back slightly when touched. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a plate, leaving the pan on top of the cake for 5 minutes before you remove it. Serve the cake warm, topped with a small dollop of Chantilly cream or a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

(Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

9 slices pineapple in juice (from 14-oz can), drained

9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired

1 1/3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup milk

1 egg

How To:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.
2. In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.