Exam time

Both our children are busy doing tests and exams this week and I'm trying hard not to worry about them!  Easier said than done.  Anyway nothing like a bit of baking to take your mind off things.  This weeks bake is another blast from the past, an upside down cake, but gluten free and made with less sugar than the original.  I decided to use peaches, as that's what I had in the cupboard and we enjoyed the cake, both warm out of the oven (with Carnation evaporated milk!) and cold the next day.  The addition of cinnamon in the topping made a nice change, but leave it out if you're not a fan.

Spiced Peach Upside-Down Cake (Gluten free and low sugar)

Ingredients - Makes 8-12 pieces depending on how hungry you feel!

For the topping:

• 55g dried apricots or peaches, chopped or snipped into small pieces
• 1 x 411g tin of sliced peaches in natural juice, drained (keep the juice)
• 25g  butter, melted
• 25g Sweet Freedom or Agave Syrup or juice from tin
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

For the cake:

• 3 medium eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 25g Truvia sweetener
• 150g gluten free self-raising flour (I used Doves Farm)
• 50g ground almonds
• 2 tsp gluten free baking powder
• 125g unsalted soft butter or margarine
• 3 tbsp milk

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / Gas 4.  Grease a 20cm square tin.
2. Put the chopped dried apricots into a saucepan with 55ml of water and the juice from the tinned peaches.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.  Allow to cool in the saucepan then drain, saving the remaining juice.  Whizz the drained apricots to a puree using a food processor or hand blender.  Put the reserved juice back in the pan and boil until reduced to approximately 55ml, then set aside to cool.
3. Mix the melted butter with the Sweet Freedom and cinnamon.  Spread into the prepared tin.  Arrange the tinned peach slices on top.
4. Now make the sponge.  Put the eggs into a bowl with the vanilla extract and Truvia sweetener.  Using an electric mixer, whisk for a couple of minutes on high, until slightly frothy.
5. In another bowl sieve together the flour, ground almonds and baking powder.  Add to the egg mixture with the butter and milk and beat again.  Stir in the pureed dried apricots. Try not to overmix.  Spoon the mixture over the peaches and level.
6. Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edge of the tin to loosen.  Turn the cake upside down onto a plate.  Spoon over the reserved peach juice.  Serve warm with creme fraiche, custard or evaporated milk.  If there is any left it is also nice cold.

I estimated that each piece had roughly 18g carbs if the cake was cut into 12, or 26g if cut into 8.  If you choose to serve it with something you also need to account for this in your carb calculations.