Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Apricot madeira upside-down cake from missing magazine

A weekend afternoon is spent baking an old-fashioned cake. What's not to like?
I like it!

I realised recently that I don't bake many cakes. Mainly because, with just 2 moderately hungry people in the house (and one ravenous Tabitha cat), a large cake won't get finished in one day, and most cakes are best eaten the same day.  That's why I bake cookies. Hello cookie...

Then I felt like something old skool. Something that would make me feel like an honorary member of the Country Women's Association.  This recipe from super food ideas magazine ('only $2.95!') fits the bill.  And if you'll bear with me, I will tell you a story.

Well, I made this lovely apricot upside-down cake that the CWA would be proud of . The photos turned out quite pretty, too. Then I uploaded the photos to this blog I have, with the recipe to be added another time.  A couple of days later, I couldn't remember where the recipe was from (I hear shouts of "super food ideas!" and "he's behind the tree!" in the background).
I swear I went through every one of the 50 or so magazines that are strewn around my dining table and living room. Still couldn't find it.  Then a couple of weeks later, I spy the brightly coloured cover of the missing magazine, peeking out from under some (unpaid) bills.  The rest is history. The End.

Apricot Madeira Upside-down cake
serves 8

Ingredients
Topping
800g apricot halves in natural juice
200g butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
2 tsp finely grated orange rind
2 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup toasted flaked almonds

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 180C.  Grease a 5cm-deep, 20cm base square cake pan. Line base and sides with baking paper.
2.  Drain apricots, reserving 1 cup of juice.  Pat apricots dry with paper towel. Arrange cut-side up in the pan.
3. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter, caster sugar and orange rind until pale and creamy.
4.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine.  Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
5.  Spread mixture over apricots.  Smooth the top of the batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Stand in pan for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, place icing sugar and reserved juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Boil without stirring for 4-5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
7. Turn the cake out onto a plate. Pour over the sugar mixture and sprinkle with almonds.
Recipe adapted from super food ideas (August 2010)

Good ol' country ingredients, including tinned apricot halves, flour, raw caster sugar, eggs, butter, orange zest and flaked almonds

The apricot halves are placed in the base of the baking tin and the batter is smoothed over the top.  The baked cake is tipped out of the tin when cooked (hence the 'upside-down'!)

The cake is topped with flaked almonds and the syrup.

A moist, delicious cake.
Honorary member of the CWA?  Nah, how about life member??

20 comments:

  1. That story sounds so much like mine! lol

    PS: Love the cake!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mmmm.. can't beat a good madeira cake, yum! It's a classic.. the CWA ladies would be proud :P

    ReplyDelete
  3. So far I have just tried the pineapple upside down...your madeira cake with apricot looks fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You should bake more please. Looks GREAT!

    ReplyDelete
  5. haha.....I wouldn't have that problem- I barely own any magazines except for the free ones I pick up at the supermarket =) The cake looks really good though! I love apricots- I've never seen an apricot upside down cake before though!! But this looks delicious!

    Luckily, I have a family of four to gulf down everything I bake, so I get to make cakes probably more than you =) But my parents aren't huge cake lovers so I usually cut down the recipe and bake it in a 15cm tin! Or I make cupcakes =)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Haha, sounds like my life at the moment. Officially started living with the husband after we legally married a year ago and have been slowly moving stuff over from Mum's ever since. Have still to move my desk so I have bits of stuff strewn everywhere - including recipes scribbled down on bits of paper!

    ReplyDelete
  7. If you melt butter and sugar together in the bottom of the pan and sprinkle in the almonds before you put down the fruit, when you "upside down" the cake, it will have made it's own syrup topping.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I feel the same way about cake baking and it's really so sad because I so love eating them. This apricot cake looks divine! I'm so glad you found the recipe to share with us!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the look of your cake! Can't wait for summer to make it with all the beautiful stone fruits. I often face the same problem. Can't find the recipes when I need them. Blogging helps solve the problem.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The magazine was just impersonating the apricots and hiding?

    I've never made an upside down cake but my housemate has just been reminiscing of her favourite "pudding" when she was at school - pineapple upside down cake with custard - so I should bust one out for her while I still have some tasty pineapple lying around.

    Enough about me though, this cake looks delightful!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love the colour of this cake! Great with a coffee I'm sure. Glad you found the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hey Bel, this is beautiful! And apricot is my favorite fruit next to banana, hence this really does look extra wonderful to me. Oh, and we've taken to putting out cakes in the fridge if they are not gone after a day. We just warm them for breakfast later;)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Haha you can never find things when you want, righht?! I love the look of this cake, CWA ladies would definitely be proud!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love the look of that cake. I really like the classic madeira type afternoon tea cakes - the colour of this one is lovely.

    I absolutely relate to your story about the missing magazine - I wanted to make a recipe I've made several times before and even shopped for it last week because I knew the basic ingredients. Do you think I can find it? I've been through every cook book and magazine and just can't find it. I've since had to use the ingredients for something else!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ooo yum.. i have a confession to make .. i used to buy the Sara Lee Maderia cakes all the time and scoff them down in one go.. but have never bothered trying to make my own!!.. will definately have to give this one a go!! it looks so moist and those apricots are just calling out for me!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. love the story and love the cake. Sadly the exact same thing would happen to me. I have a very bad memory, so I often write things down before I get the chance to forget them. apricot season is comming, this cake would be fantastic with fresh apricots!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I love the look of this. How perfect. Looks so good i just want to put my fork in it and drizzle some cream all over the top! YUMM!

    ReplyDelete
  18. when i see apricots it reminds me summer time here in Paris !!Pierre

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love apricots! This cake looks so moist and delicious!

    ReplyDelete

LinkWithin