I live in a run down apartment block, next door to (at least) eight international students (a conservative count). Nightly, disturbing banging noises emanate from their kitchen but no delicious savoury smells result, a mystery that has me stumped. Downstairs from them is the crazy cat lady whose airless box reeks of dust and mould, no wonder her cat sought refuge in our breezy home one summer night, 2am. The apartment next to hers has recently, and thankfully, been vacated by a 21 year old thuggish giant who liked to play gangster rap at all hours. I haven’t even mentioned the drug addled goth who I saw dragged away by police last year, he lives just two apartments over. This is how well I know my neighbours. There’s no dropping by, borrowing a cup of sugar, but this is the dingy city, cheap rent, lower class. A far cry from my country childhood indeed.
When I heard we were going to have dinner with old family friends who live close enough to almost be neighbours I got excited. So excited that at short notice I baked a cake. An upside down cake, because its the neighbourly thing to do.
The mere mention of an upside down cake brings to mind sickly sweet tinned pineapple with maraschino cherries in their excavated centres, atop soft squishy fake tasting sponge. Banish that thought along with the tinned pineapple and instead think crisp edges on a cake with a tender crumb, luscious brown sugar caramel topped (or bottomed? I can never get that straight) with whatever fruit you desire. I used leftovers; poached quince and the remainder of a jar of sour cherries to make this quick, tasty and special dessert for old friends, neighbours.
Rhubarb and Sour Cherry Upside Down Cake
(Adapted from David Lebovitz’s Upside Down Cake Recipe)
For the fruit and caramel:
30g butter
113g brown sugar
1/2 cup pitted sour cherries
2 or 3 quinces, poached (see recipe here
For the cake:
115g unsalted butter, softened
150g sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature.
210g flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
60ml milk, at room temperature
65ml quince poaching liquid (or another 65mL milk).
For the fruit and caramel layer:
Melt the butter in a small pan. When melted, add the brown sugar and cook while stirring, until the sugar is melted and begins to bubble. Remove from heat and pour into greased cake pan. Once cool, arrange the fruit in the bottom of the pan, taking care with the pattern and remembering that this will end up being the top of the cake. Sprinkle over the cherries and set aside.
For the cake:
Preaheat oven to 190C. Cream the butter the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beating until smooth after after each addition. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir half the dry mixture into the wet mixture, then add milk and quince poaching liquid and combine. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients, and then pour mixture over the fruit. Bake in pre-heated oven for 45 mins – 1 hr or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for about 20 mins, then turn cake out onto serving plate. Best served warm with cream.
12 Comments
yum yum. i love the dark toffee river overflow down the sides of the cake. quince and sour cherries sounds like a killer combo too
Helen (grabyourfork)’s last blog post..Upside-down pear and macadamia cake
Yum, looks delish. I too live in a unit block, condensed with a bunch of strangers I have never laid eyes on. When we first moved here from sunny friendly Queensland I considered neighbour dropping with some muffins, somehow it just never felt right. I wish you were my neighbour with that cake of yours
Ali’s last blog post..Things to consider when making a wedding cake.
oh my goodness, that looks amazing. Upside down cakes are so nice and perfect for winter weather.
Lisa’s last blog post..The Counter Burger
This looks delicious! Something I’d definitely consider baking a friend maybe even a good neighbour. Luckily, my neighbours are much more pleasant sounding than yours. Fairly normal, fairly sedate, even though the neighbours above us seem to like scouring their bathtub at 1am.
Forager’s last blog post..Izakaya style fare at Musashi
That looks so good! I don’t bake enough upside down cakes. What’s wrong with me!
Y’s last blog post..Sweet weekendings
Ooh, that looks & sounds delicious
It’s a definite far cry from country living!
0_o at your neighbors but lol at the thuggish gangsta HAHA and the goth haha. Mmm great looking cake yummm! You should move near mmeee XD
Summing up what I look like as soon as the website page loaded: DROOLING. This look fantastic!!!!!!
Helen (grabyourfork): Haha, there would have been more of that dark toffee, but the river overflowed into the oven (which was actually really easy to clean, bicarb soda is my friend)
Ali: Oh thanks! I sometimes think that not knowing your neighbours in an apartment block is a self preservation mechanism, because we live in each others pockets.
Lisa: I know, I always had that retro upside down cake idea (i think they made us bake one in hospitality in high school), but now im on an upside down cake baking binge. I don’t think I can stop.
Forager: Haha, I guess it could be worse than having midnight cleaners for neighbours, so you’re lucky
Y: Is it the retro upside down cake mindset? If so, break free! Tinned pineapple-free upside down cakes are possible, and delicious
Betty: Thank you
FFichiban: Haha I’m sure you have some horrible neighbour stories to share too
Trisha: Thank you!
Noisy neighbours are the worst! Neighbours that make cakes are much better. I love the idea of using quinces with sour cherries.
Arwen from Hoglet K’s last blog post..Campsie Food Festival
Love the upside down cake. I always want to make them when I see them as they look just so humble and delicious. I MUST put it on the list.
Julia @ Mélanger’s last blog post..{ Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies }
Arwen from Hoglet K: I think that my tolerance for noisy neighbours has gone way up in the last few years
Julia @ Mélanger: Oh good, this one really was very delicious.