We were pleasantly surprised to find that star fruit tastes a lot like apple in this star-studded cake. So we drifted toward warm fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. The tropical fruit is packed with fiber and vitamin C, not to mention making the cake a conversation starter!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings (1 slice) |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 or 4 small starfruit, cut into 1/4-inch-thick stars and seeds removed
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
- For the topping: Melt the butter, brown sugar and lemon juice together in a microwave-safe small bowl in the microwave. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. Cover it with the starfruit slices by nestling them next to one another and overlapping (it will look crowded). Set aside.
- For the cake: Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet, and bake until nicely toasted, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground. Whisk together the ground pecans, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt and allspice. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Adjust the mixer speed to low, and add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, then the remaining flour.
- Pour the batter into the pan, spread it out into an even layer and give it a few taps on the counter. Bake until golden brown, a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean in the center and the cake pulls away from the edges, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack until the pan is cool enough to handle, then run a knife along the edge and invert the cake onto a serving platter. Let cool completely before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 350 calorie |
| Total Fat | 22 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 11 grams |
| Cholesterol | 90 milligrams |
| Sodium | 320 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 35 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 grams |
| Protein | 5 grams |
| Sugar | 23 grams |
Reviews
I live in Mexico and have hundreds of star fruit on my tree. I was searching for recipes and tried this Upside Down Cake recipe. I used a 9-inch springform pan, covered the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, and wrapped the outside with heavy-duty foil to prevent leakage in the oven during baking. I also did not have cake flour so I used AP flour and cornstarch (removed 3 TBSP flour and added back 3 TBSP cornstarch.) Everything came together nicely. I did find that after 30 minutes, the cake was not done so I went an extra 12 minutes, until the sides pulled away from the pan and a clean knife test. Rested it 20 minutes before inverting onto a serving dish and removed the parchment paper. Lovely presentation and taste! The cake was served that same day and was enjoyed by all! But it stays VERY moist and was almost runny by the next day. I would refrigerate the leftovers next time. I might even bake it even longer to be sure the cake is done. So many juices from the topping and fruit saturates it well. Thanks for the recipe! It’sd a keeper for me with these few adjustments.
Good stuff. Not bad at all.
Love this idea. Add some cherries and blueberries and you have a great cake for a July 4th party.
Parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, first?
Loved it! I used regular whole wheat flour and dark brown sugar only because that’s what was on hand.
Almost gives the taste of gingerbread. Very good.