Gold Kiwifruit Upside Down Cake

The upside down cake is oh so very 20's.  The idea back in the day was that fruit, sugar and butter were placed on the bottom of a cast iron pan and a basic cake batter was poured ontop with the pan then placed over hot coals and left to cook.   The most traditional upside down cake is the Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I've jazzed mine up a little.  We have Gold Kiwifruit in season at the moment. They are just that...golden and sweet.

This cake was a bit of an experiment for me.  I was reading about this technique used to ensure the top of your cake bakes flat and does not dome.  So I decided to try it.  I cut a strip off an old bath towel (yes it was clean and washed) the same width as the side of the cake pan and long enough to encircle the sides of the pan. Join one end of the towel to the other with a safety pin.  The towel must be soaked in water and excess water squeezed out.  This allows the cake to cook without doming.  It worked in that I had a flat top but because the wet towelling cools the sides as the cake bakes I did not get the coloured sides had I baked the conventional way.

I also used a silicone round cake mould which I never usually use. I just found that I didn't get the nice caramel bottom I would usually get had I baked it in a traditional cake tin.

Nevertheless this cake tastes amazing. The coconut works so well giving it a different dimension and ties in nicely with the Gold Kiwifruit.

Enjoy!

Per heat oven o 180 degrees Celsius

For the base of cake pan:
8 Gold Kiwifruit - peeled and sliced
1/4 cup brown sugar
40g melted butter

100g softened unsalted butter
250g caster sugar
2 large eggs
225g self raising flour -sifted
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Juice of 2 limes
110 ml milk

To prepare the base of your cake pan, melt the butter and drizzle on the bottom of pan.

Sprinkle brown sugar to evenly coat the base of your pan and top with a single layer of  Gold Kiwifruit.

Using a mixer place the butter and sugar in the bowl and mix on medium speed unil you have a creamy consistency and it appears pale in colour.

Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.

Fold in the flour, coconut, lime juice and milk.

The batter will appear quite thick, this is the consistency you are after.

Pour batter ontop of Kiwifruit.

Place into pre heated oven and bake for 50minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Light, crumbly and ever so tasty... enjoy!