Zahra Cooks

Let me start by saying that there was a bit of a disaster associated with this cake. And yes, it was all my fault. I got a little carried away with the baking powder and things ended with the smoke detectors going off.

Regardless, the cake came out delicious.

This is what you’re going to need:

Cherry Upside-down Cake
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 cups cherries
juice of half of a lemon
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour (or if you’re like me and only have all-purpose, use that plus 1 tsp baking powder)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 tbsp regular salted butter, melted
1 super mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla

Optional: One cup heavy whipping cream

1. Start by pitting and halving the cherries. Don’t know how to pit a cherry because you don’t have a swanky cherry pitter? Have no fear! I don’t either! You can find a how-to for that here. Add the juice from half a lemon over the cherries and set aside. Then, preheat the oven to 350 degrees!

2. Next, combine the flour and sugar and mix well. Word of caution: if you’re like me and are using the all purpose flour/baking powder thing, don’t go all crazy with the baking powder. I did and my cake exploded into a mushroom over the pie dish and onto my stove element. Don’t make my mistakes!

3. Measure out your butter. And zap it till it’s melted in the microwave

Like so. 15-30 seconds should be plenty. You don’t need it all hot and bubbly.

4. Next, super mash a banana. My mother-in-law said she always used pureed fruits and vegetables as a replacement for butter in her recipes. The original recipe called for 3/4 cup of butter. Use only 2 tablespoons and put in one mashed banana and you’ve got the same thing plus a super cool banana taste.

5. Butter and flour your dish (I used my 9″ pie dish), or just give it a little Baker’s Joy.

6. Strain the cherries from their yummy juices and pour into the bottom of your dish.

Like this!

7. Measure out a cup of milk.

8. And add in all the wet ingredients into the flour and sugar mixture! (Not pictured: vanilla!)

9. Mix until just combined. Make sure you stack all your plates and bowl on the side to prove you’ve used the contents of that dish.

10. Pour batter over cherries and place into the oven for 45 minutes.

Ok. I had some issues with my cake. Since it overflowed inside the oven, the overflow batter became quite crusted onto the dish and the only way to get the cake out was to run a knife around the edge before I inverted it onto a dish.

Regardless of how you get your cake onto the plate, whip up a little whipped cream and serve it on the side. Just to be fancy.

And I am fancy.