Nectarine Upside Down Cake With Salted Caramel Food

NECTARINE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 340 degrees F (170 degrees C). Place butter in a 9-inch round cake pan and melt in the oven as it preheats.
• Remove pan from oven and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange nectarine pieces on the brown sugar layer.
• Gently whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Beat unsalted butter and white sugar together in a separate bowl until creamy and smooth; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat vanilla extract into the creamed butter mixture. Add flour mixture to creamed butter mixture; beat on low speed just until batter is combined, about 1 minute. Spread batter over nectarine layer.
• Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan and invert cake onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NECTARINE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Transfer to 9" round cake pan and spread evenly. Arrange nectarine slices over top in concentric circles in pan. If using large nectarines, you will only need 2 nectarines and will make two overlapping circles. If using smaller nectarines, you may need 3 nectarines and have more circles.
• Beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add egg substitute or eggs and beat until blended. If using egg substitute, the mixture may look slightly curdled. Stir in milk and vanilla, blending well. Stir together dry ingredients; add to batter and mix on low speed just until blended. Batter is not very thick.
• Spread batter evenly over nectarines. Bake cake until wooden pick tests clean, about 30-35 minutes. Let cool on wire rack 10 minutes, then invert onto serving platter. Cut into wedges to serve.
• This is great, warm, for brunch. For dessert, I sometimes add slightly sweetened whipped cream.

CHEDDAR CHEESECAKE WITH APPLE BUTTER CARAMEL

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Wrap the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with 3 pieces of heavy-duty foil.
• For the crust: Add the crackers, sugar and cheddar cheese to a food processor and process until fine crumbs form, about 1 minute. Pour in the melted butter and pulse until well incorporated and the mixture holds together when pinched between your fingers, 10 to 12 pulses. Press the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan, taking care to get the crust evenly to the edges. Bake until golden brown and set, 10 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then place in a large roasting pan.
• For the cheesecake: Beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. (Take care not to overmix or the cheesecake will puff up and crack.) Pour the batter evenly over the crust, smoothing the top. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of the foil-wrapped springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cake is set but the center is still slightly loose, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another hour. Remove the cheesecake from the roasting pan to a cooling rack. Run a knife around the edge and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan once more and unlock to unmold the cheesecake. Remove from the springform base and transfer to a serving platter or cake stand and smooth the edges with a knife.
• For the apple butter caramel: About 2 hours before serving the cheesecake, whisk the heavy cream, apple butter, corn syrup, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until very smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the sugar melts and is smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and slowly drizzle in the warm cream mixture, whisking constantly. Return the skillet to medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer; cook, whisking frequently, until smooth and a deep amber color, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a heat proof container and refrigerate, uncovered, until cool, about 1 hour.
• Pour the caramel sauce into the center of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it out, letting some of the sauce drip over the sides. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat a convection oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the vinegar into the milk in a medium bowl and set it aside to curdle for 5 minutes.
• Add the granulated sugar, oil and vanilla to the milk mixture and beat by hand with a whisk until foamy.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, beating with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until no lumps.
• Grease three 6-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the batter among them and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes
• Let cool slightly, then remove the cakes from the pans. Cool the cakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Soak the cake rounds with Coffee Simple Syrup by brushing about 1/3 cup onto each layer as you build the cake. To build: Spread the White Chocolate Buttercream on one soaked cake round, then add a heavy drizzle of Caramel Sauce. Add a second layer and repeat. Add the last layer and frost the whole cake with White Chocolate Buttercream.
• Add the sugar to a small saucepan fitted with a lid. Pour in the coffee and stir. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar completely dissolves. Turn off the heat. Cover immediately and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Put the white chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Bring the granulated sugar and 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat. Mix the cornstarch with 1 cup of water in a small bowl to combine. Stir it into the sugar mixture. Bring to a boil. Pour the sugar mixture over the white chocolate. Stir by hand with a whisk to combine. As mixture cools, stir 2 more times over the next 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the butter and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
• Combine the light brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened.

SALTED CARAMEL-ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar, 1/3 cup water and the kosher salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until amber, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the butter (the mixture will bubble). Pour into a 9-inch-round cake pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom; set aside.
• Slice off the top and bottom of the oranges. Place the oranges cut-side down and cut off the peel and white pith with a chef's knife, following the curve of the fruit. Cut along both sides of each membrane to remove the segments. Set the segments aside, discarding any seeds.
• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl; add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt and whisk to combine.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the orange zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Arrange the orange segments in the cake pan in concentric circles. Add the batter and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. (Tent with foil if the top gets too dark.) Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a platter. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt.

SALTED CARAMEL ORANGE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• For the caramel.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar, water and salt.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves.

CARAMEL PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9"x13" pan with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, beat together cake mix, butter, eggs and pineapple juice. Mix well.Set aside.
• In a medium sauce pan over medium high heat melt butter and whisk in brown sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil stirring consistently. Adjust heat to simmer and continue to stir for about 5-7 minuets being careful not to burn mixture. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
• Carefully pour hot caramel mixture into baking pan over parchment paper. Distribute pineapple rings over caramel sauce. Add cherries.
• Pour cake batter over caramel and fruit.
• Bake for about 45 minuets or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• Once cake is finished baking, allow to sit for 3-5 minuets then remove cake from pan by flipping cake onto wired rack and carefully and slowly, pull back paper from caramel. to continue to cool. Failure to do this will allow the cake to keep baking, which will result to a dry cake.
• Place cake onto desired dish and serve. Refrigerate leftovers.