Chicken Fish Chanukah

Pesach Rosh Hashana Shabbat

Shavuot Sukkot Tu B'Shevat

Salad Sephardic Side Dishes

Soup Sweets Vegetarian

White Nectarine And Blackberry Upside-down Cake

Topping:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus more if cake pan is used)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
4 nectarines
1 cup blackberries (or raspberries)
1 vanilla bean

Cake:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons cornmeal
pinch of salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
4 eggs at room temperature, separated
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup whole or 2% milk (soy or rice milk can be substituted

Preparation

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add brownsugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, swirling pan todistribute evenly. Cut vanilla bean open and scrape seeds into the mixture. Savebean for another use. Arrange fruit slices in concentric circles in the pan,then sprinkle berries over all, filling in any empty spaces.

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whiskflour, baking powder, cornmeal and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer using medium speed.Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating until batter is light and fluffy. Beat inyolks and vanilla, scraping down sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reducespeed to low and add dry mixture and milk, alternately, in three or fourbatches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Beat egg whites in a largebowl at low speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high, beating to softpeaks. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat to stiff peaks.

Fold one-quarter of beaten whites into batter with a rubber spatula to lightenmixture. Fold in remaining whites until no white streaks remain. Gently pourbatter into pan and spread evenly on top of fruit, being careful not to movefruit around.

Bake until top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the cake (not fruit) comesout clean  about 45 to 50 minutes.

Place cake on cooling rack for about 2 minutes. Slide a paring knife around theedge of the cake to loosen it. Then, using pot holders, place a serving platterover the skillet tightly. Invert the cake onto the platter. If any fruit sticksto the pan, remove it and position it on top of the cake.

Serve warm with vanilla-whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.