By Brianna's week. Plant shutdown week — no work, no pay, but I had OT bank built up to cover. I used the time on the catering side. Booked four small jobs in two weeks. Built up the freezer inventory. Tested two new desserts — peach cobbler and banana pudding. Both worked. Both went on the catering menu. Mama was proud and slightly competitive about the cobbler.
Tuesday I drove to Eastern Market with Mama. She showed me where she gets her produce. The vendors all knew her by name. She introduced me as her son the cook. They took notes. By the end of the morning I had business cards out to three of them. The catering grows. The seed stays in the ground. The seed grows roots first.
Wednesday I helped Mama clean her kitchen and do a deep stock-up. Pop sat in the den watching the Tigers lose to the Twins. He smiled when I came in. Said, "Boy, you smell like greens." I'd been simmering greens for a Saturday catering job. "Bring me some," he said. I brought him a bowl. He ate it slowly. He said, "This is good." Then he fell asleep with the bowl on his lap. I took it gently. I covered him with a blanket. Mama smiled in the kitchen doorway. She said, "He's been waiting for you to bring him greens." That's love at this age. Less words. More greens.
Sunday at Mama's. She made fried fish — perch and tilapia. Pop ate a small piece. He was tired. Cheryl looked at him with that worry I've been seeing more often.
That week I tested two desserts for the catering menu — peach cobbler and banana pudding — and both of them stuck. But it’s this kind of warm, fruit-forward cake that lives in the same spirit: simple ingredients, fruit that softens and sweetens in the heat, something you can bring to a table and watch people slow down over. Pop fell asleep with a bowl of greens on his lap, and I thought about how food is the quietest way to say I’m here. This cake says the same thing.
Apricot Upside-Down Cake
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 40 min | Total Time: 1 hr | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, for the pan topping
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 6 fresh apricots, halved and pitted (or one 15 oz can apricot halves, drained)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan or a 10-inch cast iron skillet lightly with butter.
- Make the caramel base. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Pour evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan.
- Arrange the apricots. Place apricot halves cut-side down over the brown sugar layer, arranging them snugly in a single layer. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Finish the batter. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the butter mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined — do not overmix.
- Bake. Spoon the batter gently over the apricot layer and spread to the edges with a spatula. Bake for 38–42 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Invert and cool. Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, place a plate firmly over the pan, and flip in one confident motion. Let the pan sit a moment before lifting. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 315 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 135mg