A cake that fits the times

Today Epicurious found the perfect dessert for our topsy-turvy world: upside-down cake. This is brilliant not only as a metaphor, but also because upside-down cakes are well-suited to infinite variations and can be made with ingredients you probably already have. Kendra Vaculin writes about why she loves this dessert that can be a decadent weekend breakfast too: upside down cakes are “rustic but impressive, simple but undeniably tempting, and exactly as fussy as you’d like it to be on any given day. ”

While most people are probably familiar with the ever-popular pineapple version, upside-down cakes can feature many different toppings. Almost any type of fruit will work, from stone fruits to citrus to berries, and you can use fresh, frozen or even dried fruit. If you are all out of fruit, you can swap in nuts instead. These cakes are also easy to make, and can be made in a skillet if you don’t have a cake pan – in fact, I prefer using my well-seasoned cast-iron for these beauties.

The EYB Library contains over 450 online recipes for upside-down cakes, and the range of flavor combinations is dizzying. You’ll find all manner of fruit adorning cakes made with cornmeal, olive oil, and a host of other ingredients. There are even 18 gluten-free options from which to choose. Here are a few Member favorites to get you started:

• Cranberry upside down cake by David Lebovitz
• Upside-down polenta plum cake by Melissa Clark
• Sour cherry & almond upside-down cake by Cenk Sonmezsoy
• Pear & almond upside down cake by Valli Little
• Salted caramel-orange upside-down cake from Food Network Magazine (pictured)
• Rhubarb upside-down cake by Martha Stewart Living
• Chocolate banana upside-down cake by Lizzy Kamenetsky