Jackfruit Sticky Toffee Upside Down Cake

Recipe from the Tasting Table – adapted from Maneet Chauhan, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Nashville, TN

Photo by Rachel Vanni/Tasting Table

Ingredients

For the Caramel:

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 pound fresh jackfruit flesh, seeded and halved

For the Cake Batter:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, plus 3 yolks

For the Toffee Sauce:

  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For Serving:

  • Butter pecan ice cream

Instructions

  1. Make the caramel: Preheat the oven to 350º and grease a 9-inch cake pan. In a medium saucepan, cook the sugar over medium-high heat, stirring as needed, until an amber caramel has formed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the softened butter and cook, stirring constantly until emulsified, 1 to 2 minutes. Immediately pour into the prepared cake pan, spreading to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Arrange the jackfruit, cut-side up, over the caramel.
  2. Make the cake batter: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and yolks. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until a smooth batter is formed. Pour the batter over the jackfruit in an even layer and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  3. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it slightly cool on a wire wrack, 5 to 10 minutes. Then invert the cake onto a plate.
  4. Meanwhile, make the toffee sauce: In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half, light brown sugar and butter to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has slightly thickened, 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, vanilla and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.
  5. To serve: slice the cake and divide between plates. Drizzle with the toffee sauce and serve with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream.

Notes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

 Prep Time: 25 minutes, plus cooling time

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, plus cooling time