Strawberry Upside Down Cakes with Vanilla Bean

My grandmother loved sweets.  There was never an occasion that wasn't appropriate to enjoy a cookie or a slice of cake.  It was quite appropriate, in her opinion, to have a tiny amount of dinner just to have room for a delicious dessert.  I think we all inherited a bit of a sweet tooth from my grandmother.  Actually, a lightbulb went off yesterday when reading a post on Green Kitchen Stories about the Swedish tradition of fika.  It would seem that our sweet tooths might have something to do with our Swedish heritage.  As I read the post I thought it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time.

My grandmother, or Maw Maw as we called her, passed away two years ago yesterday.  It seems that one of the best ways to remember her is to sit down and enjoy some sweets.  It doesn't have to be anything fancy, but it's usually best to share it with loved ones.  And, if my siblings are there, it's also best to smear chocolate on your teeth and smile like nothing is wrong.  When I read about fika yesterday, I thought that perhaps I should partake in it in honor of Maw Maw.  A storm blew in bringing chilly weather so it was the perfect opportunity to bake a little something sweet.

Instead of the traditional sweet bread that is enjoyed during fika, I decided to use up the last of my strawberries and make some strawberry upside down cakes.  I am starting to realize that I lean towards making mini or individual sized treats as of late (see here and here).  I think it's because they are so much easier to eat and store.  Or, maybe I think they are more attractive.  Anyways, let's get back to these cakes. The cake itself is rather simple.  It's flavored with vanilla bean and made super moist with applesauce.  The relatively plain cake is the perfect canvas for the sweet and juicy strawberries.  Because it seemed quite fitting, I decided to enjoy mine on a saucer I had given to my grandmother years ago.  I like to think she was right there with me enjoying hers, too.

Strawberry Upside Down Cakes with Vanilla Bean
The cake is quite moist because of the applesauce.  You can use 100g of "flax eggs" or real eggs instead to get a bit of a lighter cake.  If you don't have a vanilla bean, you can use 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla extract instead.  If you don't have the flours below, you can use either 100 g of a gluten free flour mix or 100 g light spelt flour if you can have gluten.  If you use the spelt flour, you can omit the xanthan gum and flaxmeal.  The measurements below are by weight in grams.   

33 g arrowroot
33 g oat flour
34 g millet flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp flaxmeal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum

100 g solid coconut oil, plus a bit more
100 g sucanat or raw cane sugar, plus a bit more
1/2 a vanilla bean, scraped
100 g unsweetened applesauce
handful of strawberries, sliced

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Take out a muffin tin and put about 1/8 tsp of coconut oil into 6 wells.  Put the tin in the oven for a minute to melt the oil.  Remove the pan and carefully tilt the pan around to coat the wells with oil.  Set the pan down and sprinkle in a good pinch of sucanat or raw cane sugar into each well (about 1/2 tsp for each).  Put a single layer of sliced strawberries on the bottom of each well on top of the sugar and oil.  Make sure to cover the entire bottom, but don't make more than one layer as the cakes won't un-mold properly.  Set the pan aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl until combined.    In a separate bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the solid coconut oil, the sucanat, and contents of the vanilla bean until thick and creamy.  Add the applesauce and mix until it is incorporated and the mixture is relatively smooth.  Slowly start mixing in the dry ingredients a little at a time until they are fully incorporated.  The batter should be thick and creamy.  Divide the batter among the 6 wells, putting it on top of the strawberries.  Smooth out the top of the batter, then place it in the oven.  Bake the cakes for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until the tops are golden and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.  Cool the cakes for at least 15 minutes before un-molding them.  I found it easy to do this over my cutting board.  Makes 6 cakes.