Recipes for Shabbat

Fruit Upside Down Cakes

By Eileen Goltz

The earliest recipes for fruit upside down cakes were made in cast iron skillets on top of the stove or over camp fires in Dutch ovens. The classic, make in the oven, recipe called Pineapple Upside Down Cake seems to have originated sometime after 1903, when Jim Dole invented canned pineapple. The Hawaiian Pineapple Co. (now called Dole Pineapple) held a pineapple recipe contest in 1925. Over 60,000 recipes were sent in, and 2,500 of them were for Pineapple Upside Down Cake. The following recipes are all a variation on that theme and are guaranteed to be better than 3 day old stuffing.

CAKE MIX PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (dairy or pareve)

Preheat oven to 350. Pour the melted butter over the bottom of 2 9" layer
pan.

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter. Place the pineapple halves
and cherries to form a design on top of the brown sugar. Place the pecans
into the pineapple design where ever you like, creating the design as you
go. Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the package. Pour
half of batter evenly over the fruit in each pan. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or
until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Invert cake
immediately by placing plate over top of cake pan; flip holding tight so
plate is on bottom. Tap bottom of cake pan all over and lift pan gently off
cake. If some of topping is left in pan, gently with a table knife, replace
topping onto cake where it's missing. Makes 2 cakes and will serve 10 to 12.

PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (dairy or pareve)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt the butter in an 8-inch square pan. Place the  brown sugar and nutmeg in the bottom of the pan and blend well. Remove the pan from the heat and arrange the peach slices, slightly overlapping them, on the brown-sugar mixture. Sprinkle the peach slices with lemon juice. In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in 4 tablespoons of butter and then add the milk and vanilla. Beat the batter for  two minutes with an electric mixer or by hand. Add the egg, and beat to combine. Pour the batter over the peaches. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for five minutes and then invert it onto a serving plate; let stand for one minute more before removing the pan. Serve warm. Serves 6. This cake is best the day it’s made.

CHERRY ALMOND UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (dairy or pareve)

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the 2 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar in a microwavable bowl and microwave for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until margarine is melted. Add the almonds and cherries. Microwave uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes to thaw the cherries. Mix well and pour the mixture into a greased 9 inch round cake pan. Combine the softened 1/4 cup butter or margarine and the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until creamy. Add the egg and almond extract; beat until light. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and milk; mix just until smooth. Gently pour batter over the cherry mixture into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for about 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto serving plate. Serve warm or cool. If desired, top with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Serves 8.

MANDARIN CARAMEL NUT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan and set it aside. In the bottom of  the 9X13 pan combine the brown sugar and the melted butter Mix them together and spread the mixture over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the pecans and walnuts and the orange zest over in the brown sugar mixture. Set the pan aside. In a separate bowl, prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the package. Gently pour the batter over the brown sugar and nut mixture Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes and then invert it on a serving platter. In a small bowl combine the mandarin oranges and brown sugar. Garnish the top of the cake with the mandarin oranges. Serves 8 to 10.

FRESH APRICOT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE (dairy)

Preheat oven to 375. Make topping: 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 pour the butter sugar mixture into a 9X13 pan. Spread the mixture over the bottom and then arrange the apricot halves, cut sides down, close together on top of brown sugar. Set aside.

In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt and set
it aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter, sugar,
and vanilla and almond extracts until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at
a time, then beat until mixture is creamy and doubled in volume about 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 the batter over apricots and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 35
minutes until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out
clean. Immediately place a heavy duty cooling rack over the cake pan and,
keeping the pan and rack firmly pressed together, invert cake onto the rack.
Carefully lift the pan off the cake and, if necessary, replace any fruit
that is stuck to bottom of skillet. Cool to warm or room temperature. Makes
8 servings.

Modified from a recipe in Gourmet July 2003

CHERRY APRICOT PECAN UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE
Succulent summer apricots are a terrific topping for this upside-down cake.

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in heavy small saucepan over medium-low
heat. Add brown sugar and stir until mixture begins to bubble, about 2
minutes. Pour into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Spread
mixture over bottom of pan. Sprinkle nuts over. Place each cherry half, cut
side down, into pitted center of each apricot half. Arrange apricot halves,
cherry side down, in concentric circles in pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and creamy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in vanilla. Beat in dry  ingredients alternately with milk in 3 additions.

Spoon batter over apricots. Bake cake until top is golden and tester
inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer pan
to rack. Run knife around pan sides. Cool cake on rack 10 minutes. Place
plate over pan; invert cake onto plate. Gently lift off pan. Set cake pan
over low heat and whisk any sugar mixture remaining in pan until syrupy,
about 30 seconds. Pour syrup over cake. Serve warm with whipped cream,
Serves 8.

Bon Appétit June 1998

MINI BANANA UPSIDE DOWN CAKES (pareve or dairy)

Preheat oven to 350. Set out 3 individual sized souffle dishes (3/4 cup).
Divide the butter, coconut, almonds, brown sugar and banana among the three dishes. In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and set the mixture aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the egg and white sugar until thick and pale. Beat in the rum extract. Fold in the flour mixture and mix to combine. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared soufflé dishes. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and let them cool slightly before inverting them onto individual serving plates. Serves 3. This recipe can be double or
tripled.

STRAWBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE (dairy or pareve)
This is a great dessert and can be used as an alternative to the traditional
strawberry shortcake.

Preheat oven to 350. In a 9" cake pan mix together the strawberries, 3/4 cup sugar and tapioca. Dot the top with small pieces of the 1 tablespoon butter, then set the pan aside. In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and set it aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together slightly then add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Spoon batter over fruit mixture. Bake for 30-35  minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm, topped with whipped cream, ice cream or cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.