Cherry Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

Filling:
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (45 mL)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (125 mL)
• 4 cups California cherries, pitted (1 L)
Cake:
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (125 mL)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (250 mL)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla (10 mL)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (375 mL)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder (7 mL)
• 1/4 tsp each baking soda and salt (1 mL)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (1 mL)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (125 mL)
• Icing sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23-cm) baking pan. In small pan, melt butter, then stir in brown sugar, and cook until sugar dissolves and boils for 1 minute. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Arrange cherries in a single layer over sugar mixture.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down sides until blended. Add vanilla and beat. In a small bowl, stir flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Gradually add flour to butter mixture alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour.
3. Spread batter evenly over cherries. Bake in centre of preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 60 to 70 minutes. Check cake after 50 minutes, and cover loosely with foil if getting too dark. Run a knife around the edge of cake pan. After 15 minutes, carefully invert onto a cake plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Just before serving, dust with icing sugar if you like.

Notes