There’s a story somewhere in my head about life turning upside-down.
It may be a story about the decisions you make that lead to life swerving left instead of right, and left ends up being so very right.
Or perhaps a story about the decisions that life makes for you while it dances around like an obnoxious frat boy singing lalalala and holding its fingers in its ears, ignoring your instance that this was not-in-the-plan, even if there was no real plan to speak of.
I have all of the above and then some, but I’m not sure that today is the day they will bubble to the surface…
Today all that’s bubbling to the surface is caramel but don’t worry, I’ve still managed to turn an upside-down cake upside-down — not literally, that would make it a rightside-up cake — but figuratively.
Because instead of apples or kumquats or pineapple I’ve gone and put caramel baked pumpkin on top of a cake. And it was so very right.
In other news I’ve found that cake is the ultimate “oh look an elephant” redirection tactic. Did it work?
Caramel Pumpkin Upside-Down Cake
Sweet caramelised pumpkin melting into a wholesome spiced cake, how very right. Whipped cream and extra caramel optional, depending on what life has thrown at you that day.
Serves: 12
INGREDIENTS:
Topping
- 3 Tbsp (45g) butter
- ¼ c (50g) unrefined brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 250 g (½ lb) peeled butternut pumpkin
Cake
- 1 ½ c (210 g) whole wheat flour
- ¼ c (35 g) tapioca flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 eggs
- ½ c light olive oil
- ½ c orange juice
- ½ c (90 g) unrefined brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
To serve
- 1 c lightly whipped cream or coconut cream
- ½ tsp vanilla paste
- extra caramel
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter base and sides of a tall 8 inch / 20 cm cake tin, line with a round of baking paper slightly larger than the base.
Cut pumpkin into ¼ inch (½ cm) slices. Heat butter and sugar in a small pan until just melted, remove from heat, add lemon juice and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and arrange pumpkin over caramel, fitting pieces in tightly to create two layers. Place pan in oven and bake 15 minutes.
While pumpkin is roasting combine dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Combine wet ingredients (eggs through vanilla) in a jug and whisk well.
When the pan is removed from the oven add wet ingredients to dry and whisk to create a smooth batter. Immediately pour cake batter over hot pumpkin and caramel, return to the oven and bake 25 – 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Run a knife around the edge of the cake, place a plate over the pan and invert immediately. Cool before cutting.
Serve with vanilla whipped cream or coconut whipped cream. If you wish you can make a second batch of the caramel used for the topping and serve it with the cake and cream.
COOK’S NOTES:
- Mixed spice can be substituted with 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger and ¼ tsp each cloves and allspice.
- Feel free to use any upside-down cake recipe you prefer for the cake part — just make sure to follow the caramel/pumpkin steps first.
vegetarian // whole grain // nut-free // soy-free // refined sugar-free
Ooh I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pumpkin upside down cake. You just turned my world upside down! 😉
I try ;D
Yum, yum yum, yum yum yum – stunning!