Guess who no longer has a baby... but a toddler? Me!
Hugo is now a year old! I'm happy and excited, yet also kind of sad and lonely that he's growing so fast. People always say "It feels like yesterday blah blah blah", but seriously, it feels like yesterday I gave birth.
I didn't want to have a smash cake so I made a decorative dinner plate for Hugo full of all his favorite foods, and a kumquat upside down cake for Tristan and I!
Since it was just the two of us eating, I didn't want to make a multi-layered cake covered in frosting. I wanted something much more casual. The kind of cake you have in the afternoon with some tea or coffee. Maybe some fruit, but nothing too fancy.
Kumquat upside down cake was a perfect choice. It's decorative without me having to slave in the kitchen making multiple elements. Between cognitive leaps, growing molars, and shortened naps, I just don't have the time or patience!
I used butter and greek yogurt in the batter, giving the cake a rich flavor. That said, it's a semi-sturdy type of cake; the kind you want to have with coffee or a glass of milk. So if you like your cake more fluffy and moist, I suggest substituting half the butter with oil and half the
I used a gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour (my favorite!!) but I think substituting ¼ cup of it with almond flour would be a nice way to make it more delicate and moist!
Kumquats are at the end of their season, so I'm glad I was able to snag a bag before they disappeared from the stores!
If you're not a fan of kumquats, you can substitute it with pineapples, a classic. Or, you can try my banana coconut upside down cake!
With any other cake, I always eat from the edges because they're my least favorite. I'm a center-lover. Toast, french toast, cookies, cake, cinnamon rolls, brownies, everything. The soft center is the best.
But with this kumquat cake, I'm all about the edges. The butter in the topping gets browned in the oven, especially around the outside. And if you've have browned butter, you know you can't resist it.
I also added a layer of sliced almonds for crunch on the bottom. Or is it the top? Top while baking, bottom after inverting it on to a plate.
Tristan and I both find the crunch a really nice touch, but the almonds don't stay stuck to the cake and it gets messy. We just grabbed the loose almonds and put it on top of the cake because we're pretty casual like that. But, if you want less mess, I suggest cutting it out all together or switching it out for a streusel.
Happy birthday, Hugo! What a year it's been.
Next year, I might challenge myself to a toddler-friendly cake that we can all eat together!
Want more upside down cakes? Try my gluten-free pineapple upside down cake or my banana upside down cake!
Kumquat Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 10-15 kumquats sliced
- 1½ cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (substitute half or all with oil if you want a fluffier, more moist cake)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup greek yogurt (¼ cup greek yogurt + ¼ cup milk if you want a more moist cake)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C. Grease an 8-inch round pan with butter and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a pan and add the cane sugar. Cook until the mixture gets bubbly. Spread it evenly on the bottom of the cake pan and top with sliced kumquats. Try to fill every empty space with a piece of kumquat, as they shrink when baked in the oven. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the cane sugar and butter. When combined, add the greek yogurt and egg.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour the batter over the sliced kumquats and top with the sliced almonds.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
Ai, this cake looks amazing to me. And I love that this is something I could enjoy with my afternoon tea. I don't have a toddler, but what I have is only one day off in a week that prevents me from making layered or decorative cakes. And simple, easy recipes are the best, right?? Thanks for sharing & happy Fiesta Friday!
Ai says
Thanks Jhuls! How do you have the energy to make and take photos of all the delicious food when you're working 6 days a week?! You're amazing, Jhuls. What's your secret? 😉
Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
Well, I am the original energizer bunny!! Hahaha
Ai says
I had to look up what an energizer bunny was! hahaha.
Antonia says
I adore this cake! I have always loved fruit cakes and my mom used to make the best pineapple upside down cake. I imagine your cake is absolutely amazing with the kumquats! Thank you for sharing your delicious and beautiful cake with us over at Fiesta Friday!
Ai says
Hi Antonia! I love fruit cakes too! I actually never had a pineapple upside down cake until I made it myself as an adult haha. Happy Fiesta Friday!
Rita says
Happy Fiesta Friday! Great recipe.
Ai says
Thank you Rita! Happy Fiesta Friday!!
Petra says
This cake looks delicious and I love kumquats! 🙂
Ai says
Thank you Petra! Many people don't eat kumquats because they're sour but I love them!
Sonila says
Amazing!!! I love kumquats but I have never cooked or baked with them. Dying to try your recipe!! Here in Florida they're imported, i forgot from where but i only see them occasionally in the market.
Ai says
Thanks Sonila! They have seeds which are a bit of a pain to take out since they're such small fruits, but I love to switch them out for lemon when cooking chicken!
Beth says
How smart of you to make a cake with no frosting. I'm making something for my one-year-old grandson's party tomorrow and I may just make the banana version of this! But I LOVE the look of the kumquats, just don't know if I can find any.
Ai says
I love banana upside-down cake 🙂 Kumquats aren't in season anymore so I can't find them either. Maybe some sliced apples?
Suzy Kisch says
This recipe looked delicious, but I had to adjust for a dairy-free AND gluten-free friend for her birthday. I used Earth Balance instead of butter for the top, which turned out delicious! (just reduced the salt a bit in the batter portion) However, I substituted almond milk yogurt for the Greek yogurt, and that didn't work at all. I even baked the cake longer than recommended, but it was a gloppy, tasteless mess. No fault of yours, of course! I plan to make this again, but with no substitutions! Just wanted people to know not to do what I did for dairy-free substitutions. Any suggestions in the future for dairy-free options? Thank you!
Ai says
Hi Suzy! Thank you so much for making my recipe and leaving me a comment! But sorry the dairy-free substitution didn't work out... The only thing I could think of is that the almond milk yogurt wasn't acidic enough to react with the baking soda, which needs an acidic ingredient to make the cake rise. I would use the dairy-free yogurt (or maybe even dairy-free milk) but add maybe 2 teaspoons of vinegar to the batter. If you do try it out again, let me know how it works out! 🙂
Bianca says
hi! can I use flax egg instead of regular egg?
Ai says
Hi Bianca! Sorry I'm only seeing this comment. I've never tried replacing the egg with a flax egg so I honestly can't say whether it would work or not. Please comment back if you end up trying it out!
Shirley says
Hi Ai
Can I used rice flour or cornflour for this cake
Ai says
Hi Shirley! I wouldn't replace the 1-to-1 flour blend with plain rice flour or cornflour, as the flour blend contains xanthan gum to provide structure.