Upside-down cake was a ’50s staple—the geometric allure of precise pineapple rounds, the chemical brilliance of maraschino cherries and the modern convenience of topping and cake being created simultaneously made this a go-to dessert for the efficient, frilly-aproned housewives of that era.
But upside-down desserts date from before that—think of the French tarte tatin, the inverted caramelized apple pie. American pioneer ladies translated that elegance into a skillet cake, baked in an all-purpose iron frying pan.
Now it’s time for the recipe to morph again and this time you’re in charge. That old recipe turns into a modern treat when paired with the current foodie mantra “think local.” Any fresh fruit can be used to replace the processed pineapple—we chose local peaches and raspberries.
But you can use any of Utah’s summer crops—apricots, plums, blackberries, nectarines, blueberries … the farm’s the limit.
As seen in Utah Style & Design
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