Guess who no longer has a baby... but a toddler? Me!
Hugo is now a year old! I'm happy and excited, yet also kind of sad and lonely that he's growing so fast. People always say "It feels like yesterday blah blah blah", but seriously, it feels like yesterday I gave birth.
I didn't want to have a smash cake so I made a decorative dinner plate for Hugo full of all his favorite foods, and a kumquat upside down cake for Tristan and I!
Since it was just the two of us eating, I didn't want to make a multi-layered cake covered in frosting. I wanted something much more casual. The kind of cake you have in the afternoon with some tea or coffee. Maybe some fruit, but nothing too fancy.
Kumquat upside down cake was a perfect choice. It's decorative without me having to slave in the kitchen making multiple elements. Between cognitive leaps, growing molars, and shortened naps, I just don't have the time or patience!
I used butter and greek yogurt in the batter, giving the cake a rich flavor. That said, it's a semi-sturdy type of cake; the kind you want to have with coffee or a glass of milk. So if you like your cake more fluffy and moist, I suggest substituting half the butter with oil and half the
I used a gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour (my favorite!!) but I think substituting ¼ cup of it with almond flour would be a nice way to make it more delicate and moist!
Kumquats are at the end of their season, so I'm glad I was able to snag a bag before they disappeared from the stores!
If you're not a fan of kumquats, you can substitute it with pineapples, a classic. Or, you can try my banana upside down cake recipe!
With any other cake, I always eat from the edges because they're my least favorite. I'm a center-lover. Toast, french toast, cookies, cake, cinnamon rolls, brownies, everything. The soft center is the best.
But with this kumquat cake, I'm all about the edges. The butter in the topping gets browned in the oven, especially around the outside. And if you've have browned butter, you know you can't resist it.
I also added a layer of sliced almonds for crunch on the bottom. Or is it the top? Top while baking, bottom after inverting it on to a plate.
Tristan and I both find the crunch a really nice touch, but the almonds don't stay stuck to the cake and it gets messy. We just grabbed the loose almonds and put it on top of the cake because we're pretty casual like that. But, if you want less mess, I suggest cutting it out all together or switching it out for a streusel.
Happy birthday, Hugo! What a year it's been.
Next year, I might challenge myself to a toddler-friendly cake that we can all eat together!
Want more upside down cakes? Try my gluten-free pineapple upside down cake or my banana upside down cake!
Kumquat Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 10-15 kumquats sliced
- 1½ cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (substitute half or all with oil if you want a fluffier, more moist cake)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup greek yogurt (¼ cup greek yogurt + ¼ cup milk if you want a more moist cake)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C. Grease an 8-inch round pan with butter and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the cane sugar. Cook until the mixture gets bubbly. Spread it evenly on the bottom of the cake pan and top with sliced kumquats. Try to fill every empty space with a piece of kumquat, as they shrink when baked in the oven. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the cane sugar and butter. When combined, add the greek yogurt and egg.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter over the sliced kumquats and top with the sliced almonds.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
Bianca says
hi! can I use flax egg instead of regular egg?
Ai says
Hi Bianca! Sorry I'm only seeing this comment. I've never tried replacing the egg with a flax egg so I honestly can't say whether it would work or not. Please comment back if you end up trying it out!