Sophie’s Peach Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

• Cake Batter:
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup ground almonds
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 6 egg whites
• ½ teaspoon vanilla (optional)
• ---------------------
• Peach and Caramel Topping:
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 ripe peaches, skin and pit removed, cut into slices

Equipment

• bowl
• whisk
• saucepan
• tart pan
• knife
• peeler

Here is how:

To make the cake batter

1. Melt the butter then allow it to cool.  
2. Add butter to a large mixing bowl with the flour, ground almonds and icing sugar.
3. Add in the unbeaten egg whites.
4. Whisk the mixture together for 2 minutes.
5. Cover the batter and rest it in the fridge for half an hour.
6. Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Meanwhile, prepare the caramel

1. Combine the sugars, honey, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook over medium-high; it will take about 3 minutes to heat up, then boil it for 3 minutes.

To assemble and cook

1. Divide the caramel between 6 tart pans then top with slices of peach.
2. Ladle the batter over top of the peach and caramel.
3. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
4. Immediately, when the cakes come out of the oven, turn them upside down onto a tray.  Carefully transfer the cakes to a serving plate. This is delicious with vanilla ice cream.

This is a family recipe passed to Sophie from her great, great aunt. It is rather like a tart more than a sponge cake. Watch Sophie help to prepare this recipe here.