Lemon Upside-Down Cake
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 tablespoons), softened (divided)
  • ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 thin-skinned lemons (Meyer or regular), sliced paper-thin crosswise, seeds discarded plus zest from 2 additional lemons (divided)
  • 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour (such as Cup4Cup)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Serving suggestions: freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche mixed with zest from one lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Set a 9-inch nonstick cake pan over moderate heat on top of the stove.
  3. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and when it is melted, stir in the brown sugar until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute (it will be thick). Remove from the heat and using a rubber spatula spread evenly in pan.
  4. Arrange the lemon slices on top of the melted butter-brown sugar mixture.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
  6. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  7. Beat in vanilla and egg yolks, one at a time.
  8. Beat in lemon zest.
  9. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the milk.
  10. In a stainless steel bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar at high speed until firm peaks form.
  11. Fold one-third of beaten whites into the batter, then fold in the rest.
  12. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
  13. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Run a thin knife around the edges and invert onto a plate.
  14. Serve warm or at room temperature with freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche mixed with zest from one lemon.
Notes
* I used Cup4Cup gluten-free flour.
* You'll need four lemons for the cake plus an additional one (zest) for serving (optional).
* There's no need to butter/flour the pan since you're melting butter in the pan. I would recommend that you swirl it around so it coats the sides.
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/lemon-upside-down-cake/