A historical dessert from Recipes from here and there (1900). Bake in moderate oven one-half hour or more.
Preserved exactly as written in the original source
Melt one-half cup butter and one cup brown sugar together in cake pan
Place one can apricots face down in this syrup
Beat well two egg yolks
Add one cup sugar
Beat
Add one-third cup water, one cup pastry flour sifted with one teaspoon baking powder, pinch salt, one teaspoon vanilla
Fold in two stiffly beaten egg whites
Pour over apricots
Bake in moderate oven one-half hour or more
Modern guidance to help you succeed with this vintage recipe
This upside-down cake uses the reverse creaming method, building structure from beaten eggs rather than creamed butter. The egg yolks provide richness and emulsification, while the separately beaten egg whites folded in at the end create a light, tender crumb through trapped air bubbles. The brown sugar and butter caramelize during baking, creating a rich toffee-like sauce that mingles with the apricot juices. Baking the fruit face-down allows it to steam and soften while preventing the top of the cake from drying out.
The cake can be baked up to 1 day ahead. After inverting and cooling completely, cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The caramel topping will soften slightly but remain delicious. Warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving to restore the just-baked texture.
Store the cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The caramel topping will firm up when cold; bring to room temperature or warm slightly before serving. This cake does not freeze well due to the fruit and caramel topping, which become watery upon thawing.
AI-generated tips from Chef Cecil's culinary database
The cake can be baked up to 1 day ahead. After inverting and cooling completely, cover loosely with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. The caramel topping will soften slightly but remain delicious. Warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving to restore the just-baked texture.
Store the cooled cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The caramel topping will firm up when cold; bring to room temperature or warm slightly before serving. This cake does not freeze well due to the fruit and caramel topping, which become watery upon thawing.
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