Torta Rovesciata alla Pesche (Italian Peach Upside Down Cake)

Yield: 8 servings (one 9" cake)

Ingredients

Peaches & Caramel:

2–3 peaches
2 ¾ Tbsp (40g) unsalted butter
11 ⅓ Tbsp (140g) granulated sugar

Cake Batter:

9 ¼ Tbsp (130g) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
juice + zest of 1 lemon
½ cup + 2 Tbsp (120g) Moretti Fine Yellow Polenta (Fioretto)
⅔ cup (80g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 cup + 7 Tbsp (200g) almonds, chopped small

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease inside of a 9" springform pan. Place a circle of parchment in bottom of pan and grease parchment. Wrap bottom of pan tightly with a couple layers of aluminum foil. Set aside.
Cut peaches into slices that are ⅛-inch to ¼-inch thick.
Next, make the caramel. Melt butter and sugar over medium heat, giving pot a gentle swirl every so often. Once the caramel comes together and is a lovely golden brown, pour caramel into bottom of springform pan. Tilt pan to spread caramel across the bottom as much as you can before it starts to harden.
NOTES: Keep a close eye on the caramel, as it can go from caramelly goodness to black tar in the blink of an eye. Also, it’s okay if the caramel doesn’t completely cover the bottom of the pan, as it’ll remelt and spread when the cake is baked.
Neatly arrange peach slices on top of caramel, overlapping where necessary. Place pan in fridge while you make the cake batter so help set the peach design.
Now let’s make the cake batter. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter and sugar. Then mix in eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and zest.
Add polenta, flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing until incorporated. Fold in chopped almonds.
Retrieve pan from fridge and pour cake batter over peaches, smoothing top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Bake for 45 minutes. The cake is done when a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean with only a few fluffy crumbs attached.
Allow cake to cool before releasing it from the springform pan and inverting it onto serving dish or cake stand.

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