We are past the days of cherry blossoms. The cherries are ripening on the trees. It’s time to start thinking about all the yummy things I want to make. Cherry-lime jam is at the top of the list. But this cherry upside-down cake is a close second. Except for that cherry dessert that I can never get enough of.
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Some people dream of sugar plums. I dream of tart cherries.
We had our fruit trees pruned over the winter. They are too big and old for a proper orchard trim, so we settled for having the dead branches and cross branches removed. I should’ve made them leave the wood behind for throwing on the grill this summer.
As it was, there were still enough sticks around and brittle branches on the trees to be able to use cherry and applewood for smoke on the pork shoulder I am making for dinner. It’s not going to be anywhere close to as good as the one my brother made two years ago, but long and slow on the charcoal with fruitwood smoke, as long as there is enough salt, it’ll be good.
Long, lazy summer days. The kind where the humidity is finally down and we can breathe outside again. The days where the sun finally shines after a week of rain. Mosquitoes are still sleeping. Weeds need to be pulled, there are a million and a half projects to do, but the patio furniture calls me to just sit for a little bit.
From my view on the side porch, I watch my daughter play with the neighbor’s dog. They are playing with the hose. Her giggles blend with his happy barks as they splash in the pool.
The hydrangeas are in full bloom. Huge snowball flowers break up the straight lines of my porch view. Spikes of hosta flowers and yellow lilies contrast with the blue/green of my patio furniture.
The furniture used to sit at my mom’s house. She gave it to us when we bought the house with the wrap around porch. We painted the wood over with dark azure outdoor paint and threw limey-green outdoor cushions on it. The old ceramic tiles of houses from Williamsburg, VA look better on a blue background than they ever did on brown.
This year, we didn’t get as many cherries. The weather was alternately too hot or too rainy. The trees were too tall. It’s always something. The fruit we could reach seemed to go from underripe to molding on the limb within hours. If anyone has great tips for picking cherries other than renting a cherry picker, I’d be glad to know them.
Apples and pears weigh down the canopy that I used to be able to walk under. My jam pots sit in the basement ready to be filled. My brain spins at the possibilities.
I walked under the apple trees today. My feet were bare. Hard green apples lay nearly hidden in the soft green grass. For a moment I was happy that the boys hadn’t yet mowed the yard. The knobby apples in the cool grass soothed my aching feet.
The soft wind blows the sound of a distant lawn mower to me. I know that I’m going to have to get up soon to do all the things that need doing. But while I decide if I’m going to make cherry upside-down cake for dessert, I’m just going to sit here and be perfectly content for just a minute longer.
The Recipe:
Cherry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Butter Melted
- ½ Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Can Water-packed Sour Cherries Drained (reserving juice)
- 2 tsp Lemon rind
Cake
- ½ Cup Butter
- ½ Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 ½ Cup Flour sifted
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ Cup Milk
Sauce
- 2 TB Sugar
- 2 tsp Corn Starch
- Reserved Cherry Juice
Instructions
- Melt ¼ cup of butter in a 9" x 9" x 2" pan.
- Sprinkle with ½ cup brown sugar.
- Distribute cherries in pan with lemon rind.
Cake
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Beat in 1 egg.
- Sift in flour, baking powder, salt; alternating with ½ cup milk.
- Beat until smooth.
- Spread on top of the cherries.
- Bake in a 375° oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While still warm, cut cake into 6 squares.
Sauce
- Blend sugar and cornstarch together in a saucepan.
- Add cherry juice.
- Cook until thickened.
- Serve on cake (or ice cream).
Notes
If you like this recipe, you may also like Cherry Cream Puffs, Cherry Meringue Pie, and Danish Pastry
The practical people that named some of these recipes were not nearly as eloquent as the writers which is why we have recipes named things like “
The second time I made it, I had much better results in a smaller 8×8 pan. I neglected to let the cake cool completely before adding the whipped cream to the top. The results were a bit runny and messy, but nonetheless incredible.
Growing up we went to a church that had a phenomenal Christmas bazaar every year. There were certain things that could not be missed. In the tearoom, you could sit and drink hot cider and eat a selection of Christmas cookies and cream puffs stuffed with chicken salad. There were the baked beans. Sadly that recipe didn’t make it into the church cookbook. I’ve been attempted to recreate the beans. My mom had the recipe at one point, but it might’ve gotten lost in a move. The beans were that good. 
You could tell it was time for the bazaar weeks ahead of time. The familiar fragrances of the church, the incense, Murphy’s oil soap, old wood, and beeswax, would start to become entwined with the smell of sugar and anise. 
At the bazaar, a cut glass punch bowl would be piled high with baggies full of jewel-like red and green candies. My siblings and I would always make sure that my mom bought at least one bag. There were a few years where I would bring my own money to secure my own bag. Anise is one of those flavors that not everyone likes. I get it. But it takes me back to those days of helping in the tearoom, exploring all the goodies, conversations in the kitchen with the “old” church ladies. And the color is so pretty and this anise flavor isn’t very strong. It’s more of the suggestion of anise than a powerful anise flavor. 
Since those days I have helped 2 churches start their Christmas bazaars. One turned into an event with a fancy wine and cheese night and silent auction. The other is an amalgamation of sewn crafts, canned food, lefsa, fresh bread, herb butters. I was the official bread maker for years. 
Ok, enough of the sentimental drivel and let’s get to cookies.
The cherry meringue pie is the one on the top. It is one of the best pies I’ve ever put into my mouth. I feel like there should be some sort of fanfare before I give you the recipe for this fantastic thing.
I just made this pie crust in my food processor. I didn’t feel like getting my hands in it. Not that it really mattered because by the time I got everything kneaded and in the fridge, my hands were covered in dough anyway.