Apricot Upside-Down Cake
Updated July 23, 2020
Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
- Total Time
- 1¼ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE TOPPING
4 tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
Flour, for dusting
½ cup/110 grams light or dark brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
8 medium apricots, rinsed and dried (about 1 pound)
FOR THE CAKE
1 cup/130 grams all-purpose flour
½ cup/55 grams almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup/135 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup/120 milliliters whole milk
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
53 grams carbs; 86 milligrams cholesterol; 404 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 222 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 37 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the topping: Lightly grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread the brown sugary mix in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Step 2
Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Arrange the apricots, flesh-side down, evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Step 3
Prepare the cake batter: Add the flour to a medium bowl. Sift in the almond flour, then use your fingertips to break up any clumps that don’t fit through the sieve. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl and whisk to combine.
- Step 4
In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium until combined and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Step 5
Add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then ½ of the milk, mixing to combine. Continue alternating the additions of flour and milk and mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl, just until all is combined. (Make sure not to overmix during this step.)
- Step 6
Spread the batter in an even layer over the apricot halves. Bake until the cake is set and doesn’t jiggle when shaken, is golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
- Step 7
Remove pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. With the cake still in the pan, turn the pan over onto a serving platter. Wait 1 minute, then remove the pan. This cake is excellent warm, but it’s also delicious at room temperature.
The ½ cup almond flour may be substituted with another ½ cup all-purpose flour.
Private Notes
Comments
Used local (Southern California) red apricots on the verge of being too ripe. Cake was FANTASTIC. The tartness of the apricot cut the balanced the sweetness. Reduced granulated sugar to 120 g and it was fine--still plenty sweet with the glaze--could probably reduce further depending on the fruit. My husband stared at his plate in silence for a few minutes after he finished it. Not sure if in prayer or mourning.
Just made this. Simple and delicious. I used 1/2 cup sugar vs 2/3 cup and it was perfect. Also needed to cook for 5-7 minutes longer.
Add 1/2 tsp almond extract, lessen vanilla to 1/2 tsp. Add 1 tsp cardamom to dry ingredients for complexity of flavor. Arrange quartered apricots in dahlia design for lovely presentation. My 13 yr old made this cake without difficulty.
I would recommend using a pan that is at least 2 inches deep. I used a 9 inch cake pan that was too shallow and much of the butter bubbled out and made a mess out of the oven. It also reduced the amount of topping and flavor that was present. The edges were delicious, though, where the topping remained I used hazelnut flour in place of the almond flour and the flavor was a perfect accompaniment to the apricots. Would definitely make again as the flavor was good and it turned out much lighter than I expected.
I followed the recipe exactly as written. No substitutions or personal edits. As a result, I’m actually in a position to rate the recipe. Cake was balanced and delicious, but mine needed more time even though the toothpick came out clean and cake was definitely set and browned. I do wonder if the ripeness/ moisture level of apricots plays a role here- as well as variations in oven temp. Would suggest testing multiple points on the pan before turning out.
Took the suggestions of others and used 100g of granulated sugar. Loved the earthiness that the almond flour gave. Used apricots straight from the tree so they were not perfect! Absolutely delicious!