SHF 48: Mango & Cardamom Upside-down Cake

SHF was the very first blogging event that I joined way back in autumn of 2004. Those were the days when blogging was so new and exhilarating. You know almost all of the food bloggers by heart because there were only a few of us around that time. Now bloggers are in the thousands and that's just in the food category. How time flies.

After a long while of not being able to participate in SHF, I made it a point to make sure I do it this time besides the fact that my blog needs the regular update once and again. The current theme of SHF is spice, hosted by Anita of Dessert First.

There were two choices for me to bake, either a spiced creme caramel or this mango upside-down cake. Well the sight of some Indian mangos in the supermarket did it for me. And so it was, only if I waited a little longer for it to ripen the cake would have been perfect. But that is the point of trying, isn't it? Give it a go, if it's not to your liking then do adjustments the next time.

As for cardamom, I fell in love with this spice when I started sampling Indian sweets. I love its heady aroma and the way it melds well with ingredients like chocolate. I will surely be making use more of this fragrant spice.

Paul Rankin's recipe is the one I adapted from the BBC GoodFood magazine of November last year.

Mango & Cardamom Upside-down Cake

160 g  butter - softened
100 g  caster sugar
2 large eggs
175 g  self-raising flour
2-3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
lime or lemon zest (optional)
2 Tbsp soft brown sugar
2 cardamom pods, seeds only, crushed
1 slightly ripe mango - peeled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
2. Beat 100 g  of the butter with the caster sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. With a wooden spoon, fold in the flour.
5. Add the milk and mix to a soft dropping consistency. If it is too thick, add more milk.
6. In a 20 cm oven-safe frying pan, melt the rest of the butter (60 gm) with the brown sugar, cardamom, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to mix.
7. Add the mango slices and cook for about 5 minutes or until it is a bit soft but still firm. If you're using a separate baking pan instead of the frying pan, pour the mango slices into the baking pan.
8. Arrange the cooked mango slices well at the bottom then spoon the cake batter on top.
9. Bake for 20 minutes or until risen and beginning to shrink away from the sides.
10. Remove from oven. Slide a knife around the edges of the pan then turn the cake out onto a serving plate. Serve warm with some Greek yoghurt or cream.