Okay, so I’ve been seeing these upside-down cakes all over my feed, and they look so darn pretty. I decided to give it a shot, but with a twist – making it gluten-free! I’m not strictly gluten-free, but I like experimenting, and peaches are in season, so, gluten-free peach upside-down cake it is!
First things first, I gathered my ingredients. I grabbed some ripe peaches, of course, and then the usual suspects: butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. The gluten-free part comes in with the flour – I used a blend of almond flour and a bit of tapioca starch. I find this combo gives a nice texture, not too dense, not too crumbly.
Prepping the Peaches
- I sliced the peaches, not too thin, not too thick. Like, Goldilocks thick, you know?
- Then, I melted some butter in my cast iron skillet (you can use a regular cake pan, but the cast iron gives it a nice, caramelized crust).
- I sprinkled brown sugar over the melted butter – this is where the magic happens, people!
- Next, I arranged the peach slices in a pretty pattern on top of the sugar-butter mixture. I went for a classic circular design, but you do you.
Making the Batter
- In a separate bowl, I whisked together the dry ingredients: the almond flour, tapioca starch, a bit of baking powder (for lift), and a pinch of salt.
- In another bowl, I creamed together some softened butter and sugar until it was light and fluffy.
- Then, I beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Finally, I gradually added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix!
Putting It All Together
I poured the batter carefully over the peaches in the skillet, making sure to spread it evenly.
Then, into the oven it went! I baked it at 350°F (175°C) for about 40-45 minutes. The top was golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center came out clean. That’s how I knew it was done.
The Big Reveal
This is the slightly tricky part. I let the cake cool in the skillet for about 10 minutes. Then, I placed a plate over the skillet and, holding my breath, flipped the whole thing over.
And…ta-da! The cake slid out perfectly (phew!), revealing the gorgeous, caramelized peaches on top. It looked (and smelled) amazing!
I let it cool completely before slicing into it. The cake was moist, the peaches were sweet and tender, and the gluten-free flour blend worked like a charm. Honestly, you wouldn’t even know it was gluten-free!
It is very good that I made it!