Upside Down Lemon Sponge Cake With Lemon Maple Butter Recipes

UPSIDE-DOWN LEMON SPONGE CAKE WITH LEMON-MAPLE BUTTER

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit/160 degrees Celsius.
• Trim the 3 lemons, slicing and discarding the tips, then cut each lemon into very thin (1/10-inch/1/4-centimeter-thick) rounds to get 24 slices; discard the seeds (pips). Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in about three batches, add lemon slices in a single layer and cook until nicely charred on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining slices and set aside.
• Line a baking dish about 8-by-12 inches/20-by-30 centimeters in size with a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the base and sides, and enough overhang to later fold over the batter. Pour 1/2 cup/120 milliliters maple syrup into the prepared dish. Halve the vanilla bean (pod) lengthwise, scrape the seeds into a small bowl, then add the scraped-out halves to the prepared dish. Top with the charred lemon slices, spreading out so they cover the entire base while overlapping slightly in spots.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and mix on medium speed to combine. Add the room-temperature butter, eggs and egg yolk, brown sugar, milk, reserved vanilla seeds and the remaining 3 tablespoons maple syrup, and mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes until combined. The mixture will look like it's split a little with some smaller cubes of butter, but that's O.K.
• Spoon the mixture into a piping bag or resealable plastic bag, snipping the base, and pipe the mixture directly on top of the lemons in the baking dish in an even layer (this ensures the lemons don't move around too much). Using the back of a spoon, smooth over the mixture to create an even layer. Fold over the excess parchment paper to cover, then wrap the dish tightly in foil.
• Place the baking dish into a larger roasting pan (tin) that is roughly 10-by-14 inches/24-by-36 centimeters. Carefully add about 1 inch/3 centimeters boiling water to the pan, transfer to the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Lift the baking dish from the water, remove the foil, and unwrap the parchment paper. Set aside for 5 minutes before carefully inverting the whole thing onto a platter, carefully removing the parchment paper to expose the lemons.
• During the last 10 minutes of baking, prepare the lemon-maple butter: Add the lemon juice and maple syrup to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook for about 2 minutes, then turn the heat down to low. Once the mixture is no longer simmering, gradually whisk in the chilled butter a little at a time until you have an emulsified sauce.
• Drizzle half the lemon-maple butter all over the warm sponge cake and serve warm, with the remaining lemon-maple butter and crème fraîche alongside.

LEMON UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the hot coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only to medium-high heat.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a small bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, olive oil, sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Place a shallow enameled Dutch oven over direct heat. Add the butter and melt. Continue to toast the butter until it becomes brown and nutty, 1 to 2 minutes. Swirl the butter up the sides of the Dutch oven as you are toasting it to prevent the cake from sticking.
• After the butter has browned, whisk in the brown sugar and allow it to melt. The mixture will resemble wet sand and won't get completely smooth.
• Take the Dutch oven off the heat and shingle the lemon slices in, covering the whole surface. Keep in mind that this will be the top of your cake. Pour the batter into the Dutch oven and put it back over indirect heat. Close the grill and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out dry, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the cake from the grill and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a platter and continue to cool until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, place a 2-cup glass jar with a lid in the freezer for 20 minutes. When the jar is cold, pour in the cream and add the sugar and the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Vigorously shake until you end up with soft whipped cream, about 5 minutes.
• Cut the cake into 8 slices and serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.
• (Alternatively, you can bake the cake in a 350 degrees F oven for 50 minutes.)