Apricots: Fresh Apricot Upside Down Cake

The apricot's name derives from "apricock." The history of the apricock is recorded in the court of King James I. Apricocks were served as an aphrodisiac treat.

In Australia, the Aboriginals uses apricots as an aphrodisiac. The apricot's pit was used to make tea. The flesh of the fruit was crushed, and rubbed on the suitor's erogenous zones as a pre-coital perfume.

Try this sexy fruit, and bake you man a sexy warm moist cake. Change into something sexy, and finger feed your man this most, hot velvety cake. He will thank you for it.

Fresh Apricot Upside Down Cake

Topping

1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

3/4cuppacked light brown sugar

10 or 11small (2- to 2 1/4-inch) fresh apricots (1 1/4 lb), halved lengthwise and pitted

Ingredients

1 3/4cupsall-purpose flour

1 1/2teaspoonsbaking powder

1/2teaspoonbaking soda

1/2teaspoonsalt

1stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

3/4cupgranulated sugar

1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla extract

1/4teaspoonalmond extract

2large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes

3/4cupwell-shaken buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375

For Topping

Heat butter in skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Reduce heat to low and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter, then cook, undisturbed, 3 minutes (not all of sugar will be melted). Remove skillet from heat and arrange apricot halves, cut sides down, close together on top of brown sugar.

 

Cake Batter

Sift together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt into a small bowl.

 

Beat together butter, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy. 2-3 minutes in a standing mixer or 3-4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat until mixture is creamy and doubled in volume, 2-3 minutes.

 

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beat just until combined.

Gently spoon batter over apricots and spread evenly.

 

Bake Cake

 

If your skillet isn't ovenproof, wrap handle with heavy-duty foil (or a double layer of regular foil) before baking. Bake cake in middle of oven until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

 

Wearing oven mitts, immediately invert a large plate over skillet and, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together, invert cake onto plate. Carefully lift skillet off cake and, if necessary, replace any fruit that is stuck to bottom of skillet. Cool to warm or room temperature.