Peach Upside-Down Cake

Use peaches and sweet cherries for this summery upside-down cake!

Melt 2 tablespoons vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup organic brown sugar, then remove from heat.

Peel, halve, and pit 4 peaches. Place 1 peach half, cut-side up, in the center of the pan, and form the other peach halves in a circle around that center peach.

Peel and halve 16 cherries; place the cherry halves, cut-sides up, in an outer ring around the peaches; set the pan aside.

Lightly spoon 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup soy flour into measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flours with 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 tsp. salt.

In a stand mixer, combine 2/3 cup raw sugar with 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti) and 3 tablespoons vegan butter. Beat until smooth, then add the equivalent of 2 eggs using egg replacer (such as Ener-G) and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with 6 ounces of pineapple juice, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and mixing after each addition. For the juice, I like R.W. Knudsen's line of juices, which has no added sugar.

Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then pour the batter into the center of the skillet, spreading gently so it covers all of the fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes - the cake should spring back when touched lightly in the center.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then run a knife around the edge of the cake, place a plate over the top of the pan, and invert the cake onto the plate. Here's a picture of the cake just before inversion!



This cake is at its best when served warm. You'll have 8 servings of 300 calories each.


Cost:
organic brown sugar $4.39
peaches $3.71
cherries $12.82
raw sugar $3.39
vegan cream cheese $2.29
pineapple juice $3.50