What's for Breakfast/Dessert? Fresh Cherry and Nectarine Upside Down Cake

While searching the 'net for fresh cherry recipes, I came across this one posted on foodblogga. I have posted the original, but I did make some changes.

Matt and I both prefer nectarines over peaches, so I used those instead. And I didn't have orange for the zest, so I used a lemon.

Next time I make this, I would cut the amount of white sugar in half. One cup of brown sugar in the topping makes this one plenty sweet. Once cup of white sugar in the cake made this one a little too sweet for our tastes. I would also increase the amount of cherries called for to one cup.

I used a 9" cast iron skillet for this, however, next time I would use a larger one. The cake came up over the top and some of the topping leaked in my oven.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved
3-4 small, ripe peaches, pitted and halved
1 cup flour, sifted
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
5 T orange juice
2 t orange zest
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.

Melt butter in a 9" round cast iron skillet (or baking pan) in warm oven.

Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the top. Add the nectarine (or peach) halves, cut side down. Top with cherries, making sure brown sugar base is covered well.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a hand mixer, beat egg whites at high speed til fluffy. Set aside.

In a large bowl beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed til smooth and creamy. Add orange juice, lemon (or orange) zest, and vanilla extract, and beat well.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture, and beat til well combined.

Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula.

Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth if necessary.

Bake 40-45 minutes, or til cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Place cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate.

Serve warm.

I had actually intended to serve this with whipped cream, but ended up forgetting about it.