02 Jul Upside Down Apricot Cake

My mother loves apricot cake and she always makes it when we’re in France. However, this time I’ve been making it and of course I’ve made a gluten free version. It’s sticky, moist, sweet and packed with flavor. I think that this cake has everything; the almonds give the crunch, the melted butter and brown sugar makes it sticky and the apricots make it moist and sweet.

I’m currently reading Bridget Jones’s Diary and in the beginning the author dedicates the book to her mother and thank her for not being like Bridget Jones’s mother. That gave me the idea to dedicate this sticky upside down apricot cake to my mother because it’s thanks to her that I became interested in gluten free baking. For many years I thought she was so weird but in the end I became just like her! Eating gluten free and drinking green juices, etc. And I also want to thank her for not being like Bridget Jones’s mother; a self centered bored housewife.

Some alternations:

1. This cake is made in a big baking dish. If you want to use a normal cake tin you might want to half the recipe or make 2/3 of it.
2. The rice flour can be exchanged for buckwheat flour.
3. The potato starch could be replaced by corn starch.

Gluten Free Upside Down Apricot Cake – 20 mini servings

Keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge

• 75 g butter
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped almonds or hazelnuts

• 10 apricots

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar
• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75 g butter

• 100 ml potato starch
• 200 ml rice flour
• 2 tbsp psyllium husk
• 1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) almond milk or milk of your choice

• 1/4 cup (60 ml) boiling water

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F)
2. Add the chopped nuts, butter(in small cubes) and brown sugar to a rectangular baking dish(25*20 cm ≈10*8inches) and place in the oven for 5 minutes.
3. Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits.
4. Take out the baking dish from the oven and cover the bottom with the apricots,the skin facing up.
5. Whisk the eggs and brown sugar until it’s airy and has a silky texture.
6. Melt the butter and add to the batter together with the mashed banana, milk and vanilla extract.
7. Sift the potato starch, rice flour and bicarbonate of soda in to the batter. With a spatula fold in the flour until the batter is even.
8. Pour/spread the batter on top of the apricots.
9. Boil the water and evenly pour it over the batter. (I know it looks weird but it looks exactly as it should) Immediately place the baking dish in the middle of the oven and bake for approximately 30 min or until a skewer comes out almost clean. If you want an upside down cake you need to do step 10 directly after you’ve taken it out of the oven.
10. With a knife, scrape down the  sides of the cake. Place a wooden cutting bord over the cake and quickly flip it 180°. Gently lift the baking dish from the cake and remember to use oven gloves.