Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

The interesting thing and most welcomed outcome with that method of Baking is the caramelisation, the glaze that unsues and render the result a delight. Almost everyone in the culinary world and else has heard the story about the Soeurs Tatin who created by mistake the wonderful Tarte Tatin. 

Tart Tatin. A mistake which turned into a culinary classic.

That little Apple Tart is famous the world over. Of course it has also been interpretated many times. To simplify the goal, the aim of the upside down cake or tart is really to achieve a satisfying seal of melted sugar. It does enhance a cake, pie or tart. It is not truly that easy to achieve because you are dealing with sugar hence you have to reach a melting, caramelising point but not a burning one, and when it is upside down you can not see depending on your method what you are doing. There I will recommend a cooking temperature probe again as being a useful tool in the kitchen.

A kitchen temperature probe.

There are a fair few ways to achieve the right outcome for any upside down Tart or Cake. For the Tart or the Pie it is usual to cook the Fruits or even Veg first in a Skillet or large Frying Pan along with Butter and then Sugar. Let the lot to caramelise nicely before you place the pastry on top. A pastry of choice here is the Puff pastry for it does take a lesser amount of time to bake in the oven. Twenty minutes to half an hour will do the trick usually. One tip is to Egg wash or Milk wash the  covering Pastry to give it a shine.

Upside Down Pear Cake glazed with Maple Syrup.

The time in the oven allows the Pastry to cook but also for the Fruits to finish off their baking, hence to be melting in the mouth as per say. This is a delight on its own but it is also complimented by the Caramel forming during the entire process. This is the glowing glory which shines when you get to turn everything upside down. It is also the moment of truth. The did it work or not? You could play the Symphony number five of Beethoven when the turning of everything is to be done to be truly honest. 

Pear Tart Tatin. It was delicious and didn't last very long.

If everything works well and as expected then it is a big smile on your lips. It is the job is done. The result is really one to be shared with your Friends or Family for Tea Time or Dessert with a difference or shall we say a twist.

Peach Tart. The intricacy is in the positioning of every slices of Peaches to give it the elegant twist. It can also be done with Nectarines.

By preference, I do attempt to do more of the upside down Tarts than the upside down Cakes. But that must be a question of confidence. Speaking of which, as for the Cakes my favourite one is the Pineapple one. There is an element of joy when we try different Fruits for the Cakes or the Tarts and then it works. It is all about experimenting really. 

Banana, Rum and Maple upside down Cake.

A novelty in the culinary scene is to use Veg instead of Fruits to create the Upside Down. Hence you can have Carrots which work well being caramelised, Tomatoes, Beetroots, Parsnips, Shallots, Leeks... It is really up to your imagination or creativity to try it and see for yourself what could be working with the Upside Down method. In my humble opinion for the Veg options I tend to go for the Tart and Pie way rather than the Cake way.

Caramelised Carrots Upside Down Tart, using Honey, Red and White Onions, Thyme, and dollops of Cream Cheese and of course Carrots.

There are two things which are important to work out from the start. The first one is to choose your method of caramelisation or glaze. I will say go for the one you are the most confident to use. Or let us be honest with ourselves, it will be the one you are less likely to burn because you just want the slightly sticky yummy sweet shiny savour within your first taste of the slice. The medium to do the caramelisation can be the traditional Sugar, rather Brown than White, either Honey, one that will go with the main Ingredient of the Tart or Cake, hand in hand as per say. But it can also be Maple Syrup or even Molasses. 

Pear and Blueberries Upside Down Cake caramelised with Heather Honey.

The second thing to keep in mind is to make sure the Ingredients pair well together. This is a tip which can take time to get or acquire. It is all about experimentation but also knowledge. Your ears are the listening trap of what goes well with what. It is a matter of paying attention of what you are being taught by your elders. It is a way to capture those vibes from the past that do endure because they work so well together. Now, it doesn't or mustn't stop you to be creative in some way or another. To try new things is a good venture even if it doesn't work or even if it needs some fine tunings. Don't give up at your first mishap, just try to correct it, again and again. But you will always be surprised about combinations that go together which you never thought it could.

To wrap it up, think of a Tortilla which is a Pastry, you can turn it up or around the way you want... Play with the flavours and pairing then learn what you do like and what others like also.