Lemon Upside Down Cake Food

PLUM UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook over medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until light amber, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and arrange the plums in concentric circles over the caramel; set the skillet aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Whisk the milk, sour cream and lemon zest in a small bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the plums and spread evenly.
• Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.) Let sit 15 minutes, then invert onto a platter and let cool completely.

BACKYARD CITRUS UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Start by making the upside-down layer:
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and thickened a little. Pour the melted butter and sugar into the prepared cake pan and smooth into an even layer to cover the bottom. Place the cake pan in the freezer until the butter and sugar layer freezes; leave the pan in the freezer until you are ready to transfer the batter to the pan.
• In a small bowl, gently toss the lemon slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Leave the lemon slices in the sugar to macerate for 10 minutes.
• While the upside-down layer freezes, make the cake batter:
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the eggs with the olive oil in another large bowl and beat vigorously with a whisk until well combined. Add the yogurt and sugar. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the wet mixture in three additions, folding in each addition until no dry bits of flour remain. Set aside.
• Fan the lemon slices out to cover the melted butter and sugar in the cake pan, overlapping the slices by as much as 1⁄8 inch. Pour the cake batter directly on top of the lemon slices.
• Bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the parchment-paper lining. Allow the cake to cool for 1 hour more before serving.
• Note: This cake can be made with nearly any citrus, my favorite being lemon because I like it to be bitter and tart. The only citrus I would not use is raw grapefruit, oro blanco, or lime. The rinds of grapefruit and oro blanco are much thicker than lemons and oranges and they will take longer to bake. Lime and grapefruit also retain too much of the bitter quinine flavor and will make for an odd-tasting cake

LEMON UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Cut 3 of the lemons into one-eighth inch thick slices. Remove seeds and set aside. You will have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel from the remaining lemon. Set aside the grated peel; save the lemon for another use.
• Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof 10-inch saute pan until melted. Brush the sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is moistened with the butter and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Cut the remaining 6 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the sugar and grated lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.
• Spread the batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.

MEYER LEMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter and sprinkle bottom with sugar. Thinly slice lemons and remove seeds. Arrange lemon slices in concentric circles over brown sugar. Set aside.
• In a food processor, pulse almonds until finely ground. Add baking soda and salt, and pulse to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and honey. Stir in almond mixture.
• Beat egg whites until doubled in volume (but do not form soft peaks). Gently fold whites into almond mixture until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan.
• Bake until top is deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully turn out onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Slice with a serrated knife.

LEMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make sure there is a rack in the middle of the oven & preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Trim ends from lemons & cut into slices 1/8" to 1/4" thick, discarding any seeds.
• In an ovenproof, nonstick 10" skillet over medium heat, melt unsalted butter with the brown sugar.
• Add lemon slices & increase heat to high. Boil & stir for 1 minute.
• Remove skillet from heat & arrainge slices in an attractive pattern in the bottom of the skillet.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder & salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the remaining 1/2 cup of butter until light & fluffy.
• Add granulated sugar & zest, again beating until light & fluffy (& scraping down the side of the bowl).
• Add egg yolks & vanilla & beat just until blended, then reduce speed to low & add flour mixture alternately with the milk, scraping down the side of the bowl after each addition. Beat until just blended.
• In a large clean bowl, beat egg whites with clean beaters on medium speed until just foamy, then increase speed to medium-high & add cream of tartar, beating just until egg whites form stiff peaks.
• Add 1/4 of the whites to the batter & fold in using a whisk or rubber spatula ~ Continue to gently fold in the whites, 1/4 at a time, being careful not to overmix.
• Pour batter over lemon slices & gently smooth the top, then bake 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown & a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool in the pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Loosen edge of cake with a rubber spatula all around, then invert it onto a serving platter, leaving the pan over the cake for 5 minutes.
• Remove pan & serve cake warm, cut into wedges.

LEMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a small bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, olive oil, sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Place a shallow enameled Dutch oven over direct heat. Add the butter and melt. Continue to toast the butter until it becomes brown and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Swirl the butter up the sides of the Dutch oven as you are toasting it to prevent the cake from sticking.
• After the butter has browned, whisk in the brown sugar and allow it to melt. The mixture will resemble wet sand and won't get completely smooth.
• Take the Dutch oven off the heat and shingle the lemon slices in, covering the whole surface. Keep in mind that this will be the top of your cake. Pour the batter into the Dutch oven and put it back over indirect heat. Close the grill and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the cake from the grill and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a platter and continue to cool until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, place a 2-cup glass jar with a lid in the freezer for 20 minutes. When the jar is cold, pour in the cream and add the sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Vigorously shake until you end up with soft whipped cream, about 5 minutes.
• Cut the cake into 8 slices and serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
• (Alternatively, you can bake the cake in a 350 degrees F oven for 50 minutes.)

NECTARINE LEMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º F. Line bottom of 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 2 Tbsp. of the butter, melted. Cut nectarine halves into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange, with slices slightly overlapping, in concentric circles on bottom of prepared pan; set aside.
• Remove 2 Tbsp. of the granulated sugar; set aside. Place remaining granulated sugar in large bowl of electric mixer; add remaining butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until creamed. Add egg yolks and lemon juice; beat on low speed until incorporated. Add flour, baking powder and baking soda; mix well. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites in clean medium bowl with electric mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually add reserved 2 Tbsp. sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Gently stir into cake batter just until incorporated. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 50 to 55 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 min; invert onto wire rack. Remove parchment paper; cool cake completely. Top with whipped topping before serving.

UPSIDE-DOWN BLUEBERRY-LEMON CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter just the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan.
• For the caramel topping: Stir the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, and gently swirl the saucepan occasionally until the mixture is the color of light amber, 4 to 5 minutes. If needed, brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully whisk in the butter (take care: the mixture can bubble up considerably). Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan, tilting the pan to cover most of the bottom (be careful: the pan will be very hot from the caramel). Scatter the blueberries over the caramel.
• For the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the milk and sour cream together in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the side of the bowl as needed, then beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk-sour cream mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
• Pour the batter over the blueberries in the cake pan, and spread evenly. Bake the cake until it is golden brown and bounces back when pressed and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to separate it from the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack until just cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes. Invert a serving platter over the cake pan and, while holding them together, quickly flip them over so the cake unmolds, blueberry-side up. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges, and serve.