Baker's Corner: Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake

This is a story of a beginner's tryst with baking...

I love everything to do with baking (not that I've done that much of it but still). I guess I can call myself an aspiring baker. I have no problem with following detailed instructions from recipe books as long as I'm confident that the outcome is worth it. Baking invariably involves measuring out ingredients, following precise instructions and techniques and fortunately for me, that is something I've never had an issue with. Although I can be incredibly impatient in general (patience is definitely not one of my virtues), this is one area where I prove myself wrong. 

I used to bake a few simple cakes and apple pie as a teenager and my efforts were always appreciated. After I got married, I decided that I would spend more time learning different recipes and experimenting with sweet and savoury bakes. But I was never able to broaden my baking repertoire as over the years, I somehow ended up in homes with either no or non-functional ovens. How is that for bad luck? And with a crazy busy schedule, I didn't have the time, inclination or the patience (what did I tell you?) to buy one or get the existing one repaired. On a few occasions, I did bake chocolate cake using a microwave and they did turn out pretty decent but I always pined for a classic built-in oven. 

When I became a first time homeowner, I knew for sure that my kitchen was going to have a fabulous oven 😊 I finally got the oven I had my sights on (Bosch HBN331E0B). Once the oven was installed, I began obsessing over what to bake for my baking debut in my new home. 

A while ago, I had seen a cake recipe in a blog 'Look Who's Cooking Too' and the image of that particular cake had stayed with me. It was the recipe for a Caramel Pear Upside Down Cake and it looked absolutely divine. I bookmarked the recipe and decided that this was what I would make for my baking debut in my new oven. Although the recipe calls for canned pears, I couldn't find any in the grocery store so being a peach-lover I picked up a can of peaches. I found the recipe simple and straightforward and the baking progressed uneventfully. Getting the brown sugar to the correct stage of caramelization could be tricky for a first-timer but apart from that, this is a really easy cake. The base is a French yoghurt cake which does not require any tedious whipping/beating and having a fruit and caramel topping, there is no messy frosting or additional decorating that you have to bother about. The Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake looked and tasted wonderful, completely meeting my expectations. 

Now that I'm pumped with the success of this cake, I know that I'll be motivated to continue my baking journey. If you are a baking enthusiast who didn't really get the opportunity to get started, you just have to try this recipe.

I have gone on to try this recipe with canned pears and pineapples + cherries and it works just as well if not better. Here is a picture from an attempt with pears (it actually comes out much neater because of the size and firmer texture of the fruit slices) so if you are trying this recipe with pears please keep this image in mind as a visual reference 😊

Here is the recipe with a few very minor changes from the original. Enjoy 😊

Caramel Peach Upside Down Cake

Prep Time: 20 - 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 50 - 55 minutes

Serves: 4-5 

Recipe category: Dessert\Western

Recipe Level: Easy/Beginner
Recipe Source: Look Who's Cooking Too

Ingredients:

For the fruit and caramel topping:

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup unsalted butter

240 gm canned peaches, drained and thinly sliced 

For the French yoghurt cake:

1 cup all-purpose/plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

1 cup granulated sugar

3 medium-size eggs

½ cup plain yoghurt (I used Nestle plain yoghurt)

¼ tsp vanilla extract

½ cup flavourless oil such as vegetable oil

Method:

For the fruit and caramel topping:

1. Butter and line a 9-inch cake pan (I used a glass baking dish so I only greased it) and arrange the peach slices in a circle at the bottom of the pan, starting from the outer edge. Keep aside.

2. Place a saucepan over medium-low heat and melt the sugar and butter. You need to wait several minutes  and monitor it carefully for the mixture to bubble and caramelize. It will start to look frothy and turn a darker shade of brown. Note that this process takes some time so be sure to wait for the sugar to darken in color and achieve a flowy consistency. Swirl the pan and if required stir using a spatula and take it off the flame immediately. 

3. Gently pour it over the peach slices, making sure you don’t disturb the pattern. Keep aside. 

For the cake batter:

1. Centre a rack (Level 2) in the oven and preheat it to 175 deg C.

2. Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

3. Into a separate large mixing bowl, add in the sugar, eggs, yoghurt and vanilla extract and using an electric beater or whisk beat it all together till well combined.

4. Still whisking, add the dry ingredients bit by bit, making sure there are no lumps of flour.

5. Finally, pour the oil into the mixture and using a spatula fold it in. Don’t mix it too vigorously.

6. Pour the cake batter gently on top of the peach slices till about 3/4th full and even it out a bit, if required

7. Bake at 175 deg C for about 50 - 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

8. Take it out of the oven and let it stay on a wire rack for about 5 minutes after which you can use a blunt knife to first run it around the edge of the pan to slightly release the cake and then invert carefully onto a serving plate. If you have used parchment paper, peel it off carefully. 

Let the cake come to room temperature, slice into wedges and serve as it is or with whipped cream.

Notes:

• You can try this recipe with other fruits such as apricots, pears, pineapples, mangoes and plums. You can also use fresh fruits instead of canned ones
• Using a glass oven-safe dish to make the cake is a good idea as there is no issue of the cake sticking to the dish 

Cheers,

Megha