The fruit of our labor

Here’s the dessert from the other evening:  Cherry Upside Down Cake.  In its original version (from the orchard), you simply melt 3 Tablespoons of butter and 3/4″ cups brown sugar in a 10″ cast-iron skillet.  Add 3-4 cups pitted, well-drained sour cherries.  Prepare a Jiffy cake mix and pour over top.  Bake for a certain amount of time (probably what’s on the box) until the center tests clean.

However, I use my favorite PUDC recipe, which was my father’s favorite dessert (or maybe he just told me that).  I just increased the brown sugar by half, because the cherries are quite tart.

Cherry Upside Down Cake (adapted from a Sunset recipe)

4 Tablespoons butter or margarine
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3-4 cups pitted sour cherries, well-drained
3 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and brown sugar together over low heat in a 10″ cast-iron skillet. Remove from heat and place cherries atop sugar mixture.  In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; beat in orange juice.  Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.  Pour over cherries in skillet.  Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then loosen edge of cake with offset spatula and turn out onto serving plate.  Makes 6-8 servings.