Hello dear friends! Here is the history of another childhood cake that I really, really LOVE:

My father’s sister (my favorite aunt) had a wild cherry tree in her backyard. It was growing quite close to the house, it was very tall and surpassing the roof of their two-story home. I loved visiting my aunt! I would often stop by her house to have a glass of juice, a treat and to get some auntie love. She would take my hand, lead me through her bedroom to the open window and she would reach out and grab a cherry branch. I would stand there, holding the branch, picking the sweet, little cherries and stuffing them in my mouth. Didn’t wash them either and I am still alive! Can you believe that? 😉

In February of 2004 we moved to our first home here in the U. S. Snow and cold prevented me to explore my backyard and see what’s there, but when the spring came, imagine my surprise! Right in the corner, just a few feet from the house there was a wild cherry tree! God sure works in mysterious ways!   Having that wild cherry tree in my yard, almost next to my bedroom window made me feel just a little more at home.

Auntie’s cherry upside down cake is mouth-watering good, moist, lightly sweet and served with vanilla whipped cream on top. Since my wild cherries are not ripe yet, I used bing cherries this time. Nonetheless, it was GOOD, and I mean really, really GOOD! I hope you give it a try while cherries are in season.

Cherry Upside Down Cake

[print recipe]

Ingredients:

• 900 g (2 lbs) cherries  + 5-10 cherries for the decoration
• 5 TBSP sugar
• 1 vanilla sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 3 TBSP hot water
• 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1 vanilla sugar (or 1 TSP vanilla extract)
• 125 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1 TBSP baking powder
  • 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa (OPTIONAL)
• 500 ml (about 2 cups) heavy whipping cream
• sugar and vanilla to taste

Also needed:

• 1 medium cake pan (about 8-9 inch or 20-23 cm)
• Circular piece of parchment paper, 1 -2 inches larger than the pan circumference.

Method:

1. Wash and pit the cherries.
2. Line the cake pan with parchment paper. You should have about 1-2 inches extra which will line the walls of the pan.
3. Place the cherries on the parchment paper and sprinkle with sugar and vanilla sugar. Paper will keep all the cherry juice from running out of the pan and cake will be nice and moist.
4. Crack the eggs into the mixer bowl and add 3 TBSP of hot water. Mix at high speed for a minute or two.
5. Add sugar and vanilla and mix for two more minutes.
6. Combine flour and baking powder, reduce the mixing speed to slow and add the flour to eggs until just combined.
7. At this point you can take 1/3 of batter and add 2 TBSP cocoa to it.
8. Pour the yellow batter onto cherries, then pour the cocoa batter on the top of it and swirl around a bit with a fork.
9. Bake at 365 F (185 C) for about 30 – 35 minutes. Cool completely and then leave in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
10. Whip the heavy cream until dense; add sugar and vanilla after your own taste.
11. Invert the cake onto the serving plate, spread with whipped cream and decorate with fresh cherries.