Peach Upside Down Cake

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Since getting my new job my home baking has gone a bit minimal. Its pretty perfect for me because I get the enjoyment of making lots of different things every day but my waistline stays in check because I  don't end up eating half a cake when it emerges from the oven. However, yesterday I bought the most beautiful, sweet peaches and after putting 2 aside to eat fresh I decided the best thing for them was to make an upside down cake. This cake is really simple to make and aslong as you line your cake tin you won't have any problems with turning it out. (You can see my tutorial on how to do that here). I took the cake to a friends house who had prepared the most epic barbecue I have ever eaten, think beef ribs, pulled pork & pork ribs all in incredible sweet, spicy marinades & the most incredible Boston beans, slaw & pickled fennel. The meat had been cooked slowly on the barbecue for 6 or so hours and induced the biggest meat coma ever. But meat aside, we all somehow managed to make some room for a slice (or 2) of cake at the end. The syrup from the peaches soaks into the cake when it gets turned over so you end up with a light but syrupy sponge with just a little tang from the peaches. I'm glad I decided against taking the leftovers home as I would have eaten some for breakfast for sure.

Makes a 23cm round cake

You will need-

• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 2 peaches, stoned and cut into thin wedges
• 1 tbsp golden syrup (optional)
• 180g softened butter
• 180g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs (roughly 180g total if using smaller eggs)
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 180g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat your oven to 170C. Next, sprinkle the base of your lined cake tin with the brown sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg then lay the peach slices on top. At this point you could pour some golden syrup onto the peaches if you want the peaches to be a bit more caramelised.

To make the sponge filling whisk together the butter & sugar till its light and fluffy then add the eggs 1 by 1 and beat till mixed in. Add the almond extract in with the last egg and mix well. Finally add the flour & baking powder and fold into the wet ingredients. Spoon into the cake tin and gently spread over the fruit. Bake in the oven for around 30-35 minutes. The cake is ready when its golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes and then remove the outer ring of the cake tin and the baking paper. Place a plate or cake stand on top of the cake and carefully turn the cake over onto it. Gently peel away the baking paper from the base and leave the cake to finish cooling. The cake is delicious on its own but would be great with a dollop of ice-cream or creme fraiche.