Raspberry Upside Down Cake

So, I needed a birthday cake to celebrate two February Birthdays. One that would be allergy friendly, but still good enough that my husband could eat it. One of the birthdays was his, after all. Maybe even allow a little Valentines influence to creep in. Oh, and not too hard.

How to start? I had a box of 365 brand GF white cake mix in the cupboard. Not as good as homemade, but not a bad place to start. And, a recipe for sweet potato coffee cake from The Gluten Free Goddess that the girls adore...which just happens to be based on said boxed mix. Sweet potato birthday cake? I think not.

Sooo...what then? Hmmm. Then it hit me- I want raspberry. Surely I can start with a basic recipe and make some changes. Here is what I got:

Raspberry Upside Down Cake

1 4 oz jar raspberry baby food
2 T safflower oil
2 T olive oil
2 Ener-G eggs
1/4 c coconut milk
1/4 c apple juice
1 tsp raspberry vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp raspberry extract

1 box 365 GF cake mix

1 bag frozen raspberries
1/2 c brown sugar

Beat first set of ingredients until well combined. Add cake mix and beat until well combined, then beat on high for one additional minute. Generously grease one 9" cake pan. Sprinkle frozen raspberries in bottom of pan and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until knife tests clean. Be sure not to poke all the way down into the topping, or the knife will never come out clean! Allow to cool on rack in the pan for 10 minutes. Then run a knife carefully around outside edge to loosen and invert onto serving plate. Dust with powdered sugar, or pipe your favorite icing around the edges. Serve warm or cold, tasty both ways.


Cooks Notes- I only had half a bag of raspberries, and the cake needed more. When I make it again I will use the whole bag. The sugar is a guess, as usual, based on the few handfuls that I tossed on. You can alter this to your taste, but don't skimp too much as this helps the topping to be gooey and sweet. Sometimes raspberries need a little help with the sweet part. Also, next time I might use an entire 1/2 c of coconut milk and omit the apple juice. I think it lends a nice undertone to the flavor, and blends well with the raspberries. I'm going to work with the recipe to see if I can find a cake that I like better than the box mix. I think that homemade lets you blend the flours and get a richer, more 'normal' flavor and texture in the cake. I'll let you know when I hit a winner. In the meantime, this is tasty enough to keep serving!