Apricot and Almond Upside Down Cake
February in Sydney, and stone fruit is at its best. Lovely fresh apricots, juicy, plump, delicious, just waiting to be made into an upside down cake with an almond texture and flavour. Delicious!
Syrup
115g butter
150g brown sugar
Juice of 1/2 lemon
6-8 apricots + extra for decorating
Cake
115g butter
225g white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond essence
2 free-range eggs
120g plain flour
100g ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
125g milk
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Grease and line the base of a 22cm springform tin.
Put the brown sugar, butter and lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook on a medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Take off the heat until ready to use.
Cut the apricots into quarters and place in a circle around the base of the tin. Fill the centre with a few more slices. Pour the syrup over the apricots.
Put the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and almond essence in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat till well creamed. Add the eggs and beat till combined.
Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt. Add the sifted mixture alternately with the milk. Spoon the cake mixture over the apricots in the tin.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake rest for a few minutes before removing the side ring and inverting the base onto the serving plate.
Pile some fresh apricots on top - cut in quarters - and serve with cream or Greek yoghurt. Or just serve on its own - lovely however you eat it!