2 Aug
   2009
Category
Comments8 Comments

When AK went off to film school a few weeks ago, I cried. Well, almost. I had a lump in my throat that called upon all the catharsis of the world. Images of the brother going away to a fancy school, smoking pot, making brilliant movies after mood-swung, beer-ridden enlightenments, kissing the cheek air of Bollywood beauties, and making elaborate thank you speeches at cheesy local award ceremonies were duly conjured. After which, I was almost certain that he’d forget his fat, untalented sister.

And then, yesterday he called. To ask if I was coming to Amma’s because he was going to be there. To say, “Come na…I haven’t seen you since I went.” To say, “Make me a cake.” Ha! Hostel food can’t be that good, then. So what if it’s Subhash Ghai’s!

So in honor of elder-sisterly love, husband was duly sent egg-buying, and peaches were peeled and sliced in almost feverish frenzy. An hour, a power cut, and an impatient wait later, this is what emerged:

Peach and apricot upside-down

I used the Pineapple-upside down recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor’s Cakes & Bakes. The result was a flavorsome, moist cake, which I think would have enjoyed a vanilla ice-cream scoop with it.

Here’s the recipe adapted from the previous occasion:

For the upside-down layer:

  • 3 peaches, peeled and sliced
  • 1 ½ tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ cup demerara sugar
  • 8-10 apricots (I used dried)

For the cake:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 100 gms. unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup castor sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla essence
  • 3 eggs


Method:

  1. Grease a cake tin (I used a 7 inch square tin) and line with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade.
  2. For the upside-down layer, cream the butter and demerara together and line over the parchment.
  3. Place the peach slices over the butter-sugar layer. Sprinkled with chopped apricots and leave aside.
  4. Meanwhile, sieve the flour and baking powder together.
  5. In a food processor, work the butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla essence until creamy.
  6. Fold into the flour and baking powder mixture and pour over the arranged peaches and apricots.
  7. Bake for about 45 minutes, staying mostly in the kitchen to enjoy the warm aromas (Cover the cake with parchment if it begins to darken too quickly beyond a rich gold.)
  8. Enjoy warm on its own or with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream in the company of family and dear friends.