Upside Down Goodness

 One of the most classic American desserts is the pineapple upside down cake.It's a cheery, fun dessert that's been around for decades.The thing is it needs to be changed up.How about subbing in other fruits - and nuts for those classic slices.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark thought that in today's New York Times Food section. She takes this decades old recipe and blows it wide open in her A Good Appetite column. For years American home bakers made this cake withit's tropical yellow rings and bright red maraschino cherries. This is nothign new hwoever. The recipe actually started in France based on a very old recipe apple tarte renversee, reinvented into Tarte Tatin by Loire Valley hoteliers Caroline and Stephanie Tatin in the 19th Century. THis still is a popular and lush dessert, with caramelized apples and a buttery puff pastry base. Upside down cakes are also popular in other countries too. 18th and 19th Century americans only had one oan - the skillet. and a stove or open fire. Home chefs  then cooked f their ruit with butter or syrup before adding the batter. The cake was then flipped out of the pan or even served from the skillet . The Germans have something similar apfelfan kuchen, upside down pancakes as do the French with their sanciaux. Americans had something similar with tansy. It wasn't unusual for home bakers to make upside down cakes with prunes or apricots.

Yet it was the pineapple company Dole's 1926 recipe contest that gave us the recipe. There were 60,000 recipes , 2,400 were the upside down cake recipe. It is a classic however Ms. Clark gives a recipe for a pineapple -pecan one for a crunchy difference.She also has variations that include stone fruit like nectarines, plums and apricots alogn with strawberries. There's also a yummy Bananas Foster one made with velvety sliced bananas and coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans. Three cups of fruit and nuts are  caramelized first in unsalted butter  ,light brown sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.  It's perfect for any fruit. The cake is a rich one, thanks to the addition of sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt and half a cup of unsalted butter. The last is melted and then cooled as it's added with the sugar  lemon zest and yogurt. The dry ingredients  such as baking powder and baking soda.  These are whisked in along with the flour. The batter is  poured into a buttered skilled and on top of the fruit and nuts.Spread it evenly and then bake for thirty-five to forty-five minutes in a 350 Farenheit oven. Let it sit in the skillet for ten to fifteen minutes.Invert on a plate and then let sit another half hour before serving.

An upside down cake with fresh fruit and nuts is a great treat. You can make the traditional pineapple with a twist. You can also change it up with fruits and nuts for a tasty cake.