Easy Pretty Desserts

“The world’s turned upside-down,” we say, shaking our heads when the evening news is particularly bleak. But upside-downess has its joyful sides, too: children somersaulting across a green lawn, dizzying topsy-turvy rides at the county fair, and, of course, upside-down cakes.

Easy but showy, upside-down cakes happily accommodate almost any fruit from orchard or garden—fresh, canned, dried or in combination. All start with a layer of fruit in a sweet, syrupy, buttery glaze in the bottom of a heavy pan or skillet, over which a good cake batter is poured. After baking, in a culinary sleight of hand, the whole shebang is flipped out onto a serving plate. Tada! The fruit underneath is now a gloriously attractive topping. No frosting required.

 

By Crescent Dragonwagon, a food writer in Saxtons River, Vt.

Lemon Ginger Almond Upside-Down Cake

Try this as a lemony alternative to pineapple upside-down cake.

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Berry Upside-Down Cake

This fruit-topped cake looks like it takes much more work than it actually does.

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