Grapefruit Upside Down Cake Food

GRAPEFRUIT UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Wipe away excess with a paper towel.
• Cut the grapefruit in half lengthwise. Carefully remove the grapefruit from the peel by cutting around the inside and between each piece of the grapefruit. Then pop the grapefruit out of the peel with a fork. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt the 4 tbsp butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until bubbly. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Place the grapefruit pieces on top of the mixture and then set aside.
• Prepare the cake by whisking together the flour, baking powder, salt, allspice and basil. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 3/4 C butter on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Beat until smooth.
• Pour the mixture over the grapefruit pieces in the cake pan. Smooth evenly. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Once cooled, loosen the cake by running a butter knife around the edge of the pan. Flip the cake over on a plate. Garnish with chopped basil, if desired.

UPSIDE-DOWN CITRUS CAKE

Steps:

• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Use a fine grater to zest 1 teaspoon zest from each of the citruses (for a total of 1 tablespoon zest). Reserve the zest for the cake.
• Cut the top and bottom off of each citrus and place them with a flat side on the cutting board. Then, following the curve of the fruit, use a sharp knife to cut off the peels and as much of the white pith as possible. Slice the fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds; carefully remove any seeds.
• Combine the butter and sugars in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until melted. Pour into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Top with the citrus rounds so that they fit very snugly and are slightly overlapping (you may not use every slice). Drizzle with the orange liqueur, if using.
• For the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Put the butter, sugar and reserved zest in another bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour; mix until just combined.
• Pour the cake batter over the citrus and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center just comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and let it cool for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a platter, replacing any citrus that may have stuck to the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

GRAPEFRUIT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat broiler with rack 4 inches from heat. Remove peel and pith from grapefruit. Halve fruit vertically; slice crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick half-moons. Place pieces, overlapping to fit, in a shallow broilerproof baking dish (ours was about 12 by 7 inches).
• In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over grapefruit. Broil until sugar has begun to brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with biscotti, if desired.