Recipe: Fresh Cherry Upside-Down Cake

FRESH CHERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

FOR THE TOPPING:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for preparing cake pan
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
14 ounces fresh cherries, halved and pitted (enough halves to cover pan in one layer)
FOR THE CAKE:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Whipped cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter sides of 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
Melt 1/4 cup butter in a small pan over low heat. Add brown sugar; whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Transfer the mixture to the cake pan and spread over bottom of pan. Place cherries in single layer in bottom of pan and press lightly to adhere. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolks, one at a time; beat well after each. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions. Set aside.

Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl until stiff but not dry. Stir 1/4 of the whites into cake batter to lighten. Using rubber spatula, gently fold remaining whites into batter. Spoon batter atop cherries in pan.

Bake cake until top is deep golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes.

Run small knife around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place platter over cake and invert onto platter. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove pan.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature with barely sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings
Source: The Bon Appetit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild