Nectarine Upside-Down Chiffon Cake - Baking with Julia

   English / Italiano

Well, it's sad but sometimes you have to look further for a sweet happy ending... and for further, today,  I don't mean "further down" but far away from my blog.... (Please promise to come back and cheer me up!). 

Before making the Nectarine Upside Down-Chiffon Cake chosen by our group "Tuesdays with Dorie - Baking with Julia",  I watched Mrs Mary Bargin's video on "how to make it". I really did not find it difficult (time consuming but not difficult) and her explanations were really good...

 

...BUT,

...The first cake (picture on the left) that came out of my oven looked great, almost like Mary's, if not for a small and "irrelevant" difference: the center of mine didn't bake properly and was runny!! ...what I unfortunately discovered only after cutting it (How on earth have I missed thaaat detail!!).

I was on my way to the waste bin (imagine my mood!), and:
"Wait! Look! The edges are well baked! Give it a chance!"
...One sad look full of hope, one bite full of expectations: Nothing! I didn't enjoy it! I-just-did-not-like-it!!
I didn't like the topping made of so much butter and dark brown sugar: greasy, too sweet (can you believe me saying that!) and with an extremely strong taste of dark brown sugar: really not my piece of cake! And the crumble between the layers of the chiffon cake was much too much!

Please note: dark and light brown sugar appeared in my life less than 1 year ago, when I started the exciting "Christmas Cookie Club Project", after reading and loving A. Pearlman's novel "The Christmas Cookie Club", based on profound friendships and cookies (that's all we need, isn't it!)

These sugars are hardly available in Switzerland and are 6 times more expensive than white sugar. I do like them. I do use them in cookies, cakes, candies but not as a topping - this kind of topping. 

Now, if you have been following me for a while, you know that I don't admit defeat (especially in the kitchen! especially that easily!). 
So, changing a few steps,  I rolled up my sleeves and remade the cake (picture on the right):
Butter: I've brushed the pan with a small portion of softened butter.
Dark brown sugar: I've reduced to 3/4 cup, making a mix of 1/4 dark brown sugar 2/4 light brown sugar.
Crumble: I've used about 1/4 of it (and kept the rest on the fridge - maybe I could mix it to my homemade granola, for once)
Nectarine: I've diced them. Not that I did not like the previous decoration, but I wanted to try a different "design".
Vanilla: I've added some homemade vanilla extract to the cake batter.
Pan: I did not have a 10 inch pan (only a 9 inch) and poured the extra batter in a second one, covering the batter with some crumble (since I still had so much left).

Drumroll... : 
The center was solid, but still far away from the "spongy" it should be.
Chiffon cake: the taste was good. I really enjoyed the vanilla touch! But I personally find that 1/2 cup of oil is a lot.
Topping: unfortunately still to sweet 

The end result:
Almost with tears in my eyes I have to admit that this cake is just not for me... Me rejecting a cake???! How come?!!!!

Please do visit Marlise of The Double Trouble Kitchen and Susan of The Little French Bakery. On their blog you'll find two marvellous cakes waiting for you! Please, just forget what your read in my blog (I mean, after commenting :-)  ) and ...be happy...happily baking! Hope you'll love it more than I did.

Chiedo scusa a tutti i lettori di lingua italiana per non aver tradotto questa ricetta e vi prego di contattarmi, se desiderate riceverla. Sappiate però che nonostante l'abbia preparate due volte - non mi è piaciuta (troppo dolce) e non è mai cotta al punto giusto. Ho rinunciato a fare un terzo tentativo.
Guardate comunque il video, è molto interessante.

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