Lemon Upside-Down Cake

American Cuisine

Ingredient:
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened.
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar.
- 2 thin-skinned lemons, sliced paper-thin crosswise, seeds discarded.
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour.
- 2 tsp baking powder.
- ¼ tsp salt.
- 1 cup granulated sugar.
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract.
- 2 large eggs, separated.
- ¾ cup whole milk.
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar.
- Sweetened whipped cream, for serving.
Diractions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Set a 9 inch nonstick cake pan over moderate heat.
- Add 4 tbsp of the butter and when it is melted, stir in the brown sugar until dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat. Arrange the lemon slices in the melted brown sugar.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the remaining 8 tbsp of butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the vanilla and the egg yolks, one at a time.
- At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with the milk.
- In a stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at high speed until firm peaks form.
- Fold one-third of the beaten whites into the batter, and then fold in the rest.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then invert it onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.