APPLE-BLACKBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

I saw a recipe several years ago in a Southern Living magazine, if I remember correctly. I made some adjustments to my way of cooking that follow. If you want to make this for the holidays (Thanksgiving and/or Christmas) you can replace the blackberries with cranberries for an apple-cranberry version.

Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup butter, softened and divided - no margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large apples (Gala is best), peeled and cut into 1/4'' slices
1 cup fresh or unsweetened frozen blackberries
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray a 9-inch round X 2-inch-high cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Over very low heat, melt 1/4 cup of the butter in the prepared baking pan; remove from heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter in the bottom of the pan. Drizzle brown sugar with the honey. Arrange the apple slices in a concentric circle pattern over the brown sugar/honey; overlap if needed. Sprinkle the blackberries over the apples.

In mixer bowl, beat the granulated sugar and the remaining half-cup of butter at medium speed until blended. Add the eggs, separately, beating after each until blended.

In a small bowl, stir the baking powder into the flours to combine.

Alternating the flour mixture with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, add to the sugar/butter mixture. After each addition, beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Spoon the cake batter over the apples/berries in the cake pan.

Bake cake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Carefully run a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from pan. Invert cake onto a serving plate, spooning any topping left in the pan over the cake.

Yield: 8 servings.

Note: Bing File Photo