My fiancé loves pineapple upside down cake. Don’t get me wrong, I like pineapple upside down cake, but it strikes me as a little outdated, and in need of a revamp! One of my favorite summer flavors (or year-round for that matter) is apricot, so I decided to try out an Apricot Upside Down Cake. Apricots are the perfect combination of sweet, with a hint of sour, and have flesh that’s a little more firm than a ripe peach.
Let’s be real; apricots don’t get the attention they deserve. Dried apricots are frequently featured on cheese trays, but I rarely see fresh apricots featured in anything other than jam (which is delicious, too!). Turns out Apricot Upside Down Cake is the perfect sweet treat for all those summer picnics and barbecues that are about to happen (as soon as it gets over 60 degrees and stops raining!). This cake is easy to whip up in a pinch. It’s delicious at room temperature and freezes well too if you can’t eat it fast enough, though I’m confident that won’t be a problem!
You can use a cast iron skillet or cake pan. In my case, I used a small Le Creuset braiser, because I’ve been trying to expand my horizons when it comes to baking in Le Creuset. The enameled surface really made inverting this dessert a piece of cake (ha!)!
Apricot Upside Down Cake
Topping
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
8 apricots
Cake
½ cup butter, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease an 8-inch cast iron skillet, or cake pan of your choice.
3. Mix butter, brown sugar, and salt together in a small bowl – sprinkle mixture on the bottom of the pan.
4. Cut apricots into fourths, and place in an even pattern on top of the brown sugar mixture.
5. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together.
6. Mix in eggs one at a time.
7. Stir in milk, vanilla bean paste, and baking powder.
8. Mix in flour until combined. The batter will be thick.
9. Spoon batter evenly over apricots.
10. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown.
11. Invert pan onto platter.
12. Serve with whipped cream or your favorite ice cream, though it’s really perfect on its own!
If you enjoyed this cake, and want to continue to enjoy the flavor of apricot, check out my recipe for Apricot and Walnut Rugalach.
Looking to learn more about baking? Be sure to check out our upcoming baking classes at The Chopping Block including:
- Macaron Workshop Sunday, July 7 10:30am Merchandise Mart
- Cupcake Boot Camp Saturday, July 13 10am Lincoln Square
- Donut Boot Camp Sunday, July 21 10:30am Merchandise Mart
- Fabulous French Pastries Sunday, July 28 10:30am Merchandise Mart
We’ve even got a new class for kids ages 12 to 17: Jr. Chef Baking 101 at our Lincoln Square location on Saturday, July 27 at 10am.
Come check out our retail store for any of your baking needs!
