But, I digress.
This week on Monday, and on Friday I made my (once in a lifetime, will never do that shit again) TV debut on Britain's Best Dish on iTV, which is ironic since I'm American, but hey, who am I to question the producers?
So you wanna know all about it? If you didn't see the show, I was one of the regional finalists in the first round. I made an Apricot and Pistachio Upside-down Cake with Mascarpone Ice Cream. Just imagine trying to say THAT through your nerves on camera in a little tiny sweaty room being interviewed for TV. But I digress again.
I made it through the first round on BBD, despite the fact that my cake was undercooked in the middle and my ice cream was more like soft serve frozen yogurt than any respectable frozen dairy cream. But I won the first round, and then had some very lovely camera people over to my house to film me blogging, and as I went back for the second round I lost out to a man named Guy who made a trio of sorbets with some very English ingredients. I'm convinced his dish made for better TV since he looked a bit like a mad scientist next to me whipping up some strange concoctions and topping his sorbets with things like pre-candied elderflower and other poncey things that I can't pronounce let alone cook. Don't get me wrong Guy was very nice...and I'm not trying to be a sore loser (really!)...but I'm pretty sure I was never going to win anyway despite the fact that on my second appearance everything went perfectly. I secretly think the producers weren't keen on putting me through any further rounds since I was the loose cannon blogger who might spill the beans about all the confidential things going on in the BBD kitchen...as if I would ever do that. PFFFFFFF. We'll never know, will we?
Now, I realize that in talking about losing on a TV cooking show it kinda makes me sound like I'm no good authority on cooking, or baking, or anything to do with the kitchen for that matter...but hey I'm banking on the fact that most of you have read this blog before and you'll trust me when I say that despite the many, many times I have made this cake, and that I don't really ever want to think about it again in my life that YOU should go away and make it. This weekend. Right now. Immediately. It is that good.
The first time I made it I ate a still warm from the oven slice with a dollop of mascarpone straight up. I then proceeded to stand over the oven and polish off another one or two slices right then and there. I did use a fork but I probably would've just been better with my hands, but I'm a lady, so obviously I refrained. But there's just something about the nutty pistachio and fluffy cake paired with the sweet sticky apricots that tastes just like teatime should, and I love it.
And for that matter...three very famous cheffy people love it to. Namely, the judges on BBD: John Burton-Race, Ed Bains, and Jilly Goolden. John happens to have a few michelin stars under his belt so it seems to me the man knows what he's talking about when it comes to food. And hey I'll admit it right here, right now, it feels damn good to have a michelin starred chef say he loves your cake and that your ice cream is better than anything you could buy in a shop. POW! How's that for bragging rights? Oh ok, I'll shut up now.
Make the cake people, I'm serious about this one.
Mascarpone ice cream recipe to follow next week...I gotta keep you comin' back for something.
Apricot and Pistachio Upside-Down Cake
This is an amalgamation of several cake recipes plus my own little twists...but namely I adapted Thomas Keller's pan schmear idea for the upside-down part. Hey, if it ain't broke.- For the pan schmear:
- 1.7oz / 50g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup / 100g light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the cake:
- 3/4 cup / 115g shelled pistachios
- 1 cup / 100g all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup / 120ml milk
- 4 oz / 113g unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup / 145g granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 5-6 large apricots, sliced into 1/3 inch, even slices
To make the schmear: In a small bowl combine the butter, sugar, honey, and vanilla. Spread about 1/3 of a cup onto the bottom of a 9-inch / 22cm round silicone cake pan. You will have a little bit leftover but it will keep in the fridge or can be frozen. I think it would be pretty amazing to shove the leftover it into a whole apple with some raisins and bake it, but that's just me.
Starting from the outside edge of the pan, place the sliced apricots in a circle, overlapping each other. The idea is to make sure they are tightly packed over the entire bottom of the pan. Make a second circle of apricots inside the outer ring, again overlapping carefully. And make a third, smaller circle in the middle of the pan.
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350f / 180c. In a food processor, grind the pistachios until very finely ground. In a medium-sized bowl combine the sifted flour, baking powder, pistachios, nutmeg, and salt.
In a separate measuring jug, combine the milk and the vanilla.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. While mixing on low speed, add the flour mixture in two or three batches, alternating with the milk.
Spread the batter over the apricots and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If the cake looks like it is going too brown, cover it with aluminium foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and put your serving plate on the top of the cake pan and flip upside-down to serve right-side up. Heh. She bakes, and raps.
Makes 1 cake, 8-10 servings.
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