STRAWBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY WHIPPED CREAM

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Dessert|Vegetarian

Ingredients

Topping (starts on the bottom!):

4 tablespoon butter

½ cup brown sugar, packed

4 cups strawberries, sliced into ¼” thick slices

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon Gran Mariner Liqueur

Batter:

1 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 stick butter, softened to room temperature

⅔ cup sugar

1 tablespoon Gran Mariner Liqueur

1 large egg

1 tablespoon lemon zest

½ tablespoon orange zest

1 cup buttermilk (*see tip below if you do not have this on hand)

½ cup chopped strawberries

Whipped Cream:

2 cups heavy cream

¼ cup strawberry puree (5-6 strawberries puréed in a food processor)

⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large cast iron skillet (about 12” in diameter). Add the brown sugar to the pan and stir until sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to turn bubbly. Turn off the heat and spread the sugar mixture into one even layer in the bottom of the pan.

Mix the sliced strawberries with the cornstarch and Gran Mariner until well coated. Then, arrange on top of the brown sugar in concentric circles, overlapping slightly, until the sugar is completely covered.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Combine the soft butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment, scraping down the sides and bottom periodically to make sure everything is incorporated. Mix until well blended and the butter is light yellow in color. Add the Gran Mariner and egg to the bowl and continue to mix until well blended. Add the lemon and orange zest and mix until well-combined.

Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the bowl in small amounts and beat until just mixed, scraping down the sides periodically to make sure everything is incorporated. Stir in the ½ cup chopped strawberries.

Pour the batter evenly into the pan over the sliced strawberries and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen and then place a large serving plate on top of the pan and flip the pan upside down to release the cake. Jiggle the pan a little to release if needed.

To make the whipped cream first place your cream and the bowl and whisk from your stand mixer in the freezer for 15 minutes. Combine the cold cream and the strawberry puree in the cold bowl and whip for 2 minutes gradually increasing the speed. Gradually add the powdered sugar and continue whipping until medium peaks form – whipped cream!

Slice the cake and serve with a big dollop of the whipped cream. Also delicious with vanilla ice cream!

*If you do not have buttermilk, you can make your own! Simply combine 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of eit1her lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Let sit for 10 minutes to thicken and voila! Buttermilk!!