Peach Upside Down Cake

This is a very yummy dessert cake, and you can serve it with or without the topping. I've also never had the liqueur on hand, so I've always just added extra pure vanilla extract. Good Luck!

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup brown sugar large pinch nutmeg (can also use some cinnamon too)

2 cups peach slices (I recommend fresh or frozen, canned are too sweet mushy)

1 tbsp. amaretto or almond liqueur (plus more for topping)

1 1/3 cups cake flour (All Purpose will do, but cake flour is lighter and fluffier)

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. butter, room temperature

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

Topping:

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon Amaretto or almond liqueur

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons slivered blanched almonds

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In an 8-inch square or round pan, melt butter; sprinkle with brown sugar and nutmeg, mixing well and distributing evenly.

2. Arrange peach slices, slightly overlapping the slices, evenly over the brown sugar. Sprinkle with the amaretto or almond liqueur.

3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter. Stir vanilla into milk and stir into the flour mixture.

4. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add egg, and beat for 1 more minute. Pour batter over peaches.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick.

6. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before inverting with a sharp thump onto a serving dish. Leave the cake in the pan upside-down for several minutes to help free it from the pan.

Topping: Serve with freshly whipped cream sweetened with powdered sugar and a little Amaretto. Sprinkle whipped cream with slivered almonds. Alternatively, vanilla ice cream may be used as a topping.

Variation: 2 or 3 tablespoons blanched almonds can be ground in a processor and sprinkled over the brown sugar for what eventually becomes the topping after the cake is inverted.