U Is for Upside-Down Pineapple Cake

     This cake has caused me no end of stress and agitation. I've never made an upside-down cake, not even before I was Paleo. So just the thought of attempting this cake without a recipe made my heart race and my palms sweat. But I have to say that it turned out really well. It is super tasty and moist and fruity. I just made it today, but because we had coconut cupcakes for my husband's mother's birthday, we split up a piece to give it a try. As I'm writing this, all I can hear are "Mmmmm's" and "Oh my goshes," so I'd say it's a winner. The only drawback is that it's a bit on the pricy side to make, but this is a special-occasion/company kind of cake.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2.5 cups blanched almond flour
4 eggs at room temperature
2/3 cups raw, local honey
1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup chopped tropical fruit (we used mango and pineapple)
Topping:
1/4 cup grass-fed butter or extra-virgin coconut oil
1 cup coconut sugar
1 20-oz. can sliced pineapple in juice
10 cherries, pitted (if using frozen, thaw)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease spring-form cake pan.

2. In spring-form cake pan, melt butter or coconut oil over low heat.

3. While butter is heating, combine oil, flour, eggs, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla in a food processor. Process for 45 seconds, until smooth.

4. Add baking soda, salt, and tropical fruit. Process for 15 seconds, to create a smooth batter.

5. Once butter in spring-form pan is slightly melted, turn stove off and make sure it is spread evenly over bottom of pan.

6. Sprinkle coconut sugar evenly over butter. Place pineapple slices into sugar. Add a cherry to the middle of each pineapple slice.

7. Pour batter into cake pan and place in the oven on the center rack. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

8. Allow to cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then loosen the sides and remove the spring-form, leaving the bottom of the pan on the cake.

9. Invert the cake onto a cake plate and remove the pan bottom.