Cherry Upside-Down Cake (Frozen Cherries)

Because it calls for frozen fruit, one bowl for mixing and minimum kitchen equipment, this cake is a breeze for bakers of all levels. But you do need a cake pan with high sides; otherwise, it'll overflow.

½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 lemon
2 (10 oz) bags frozen sweet cherries or blueberries, no need to thaw
2 Tbsp. + 1 cup Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Granular), divided
2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups sour cream or whole plain yogurt, at room temperature, divided

Special Equipment:
1 (9") round cake pan with sides that measure at least 1½" high

Preheat an oven to 425°F (220°C/200°C fan, Gas Mark 7). Arrange a rack in center of oven. Brush 1 Tbsp. melted butter around bottom and sides of cake pan (if you don't have a pastry brush, use your fingertips). Line the bottom of pan with a circle of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate air bubbles between parchment and pan. Making a parchment circle is easy: just place your pan on a piece of parchment, trace the circumference with a pencil, then cut it out.

Melt ½ cup (1 stick) butter in small bowl in a microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat and let cool. Finely grate zest of a whole lemon, then squeeze 2 Tbsp. juice; set aside.

Toss cherries, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and 2 Tbsp. melted butter in the cake pan (fruit will clump up when it hits the melted butter, which is fine). It'll all melt together as it bakes.

Bake cherries, gently shaking pan once halfway through, until fruit juices are thick and bubbling around the sides of the pan, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

Whisk 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. baking soda and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl.

Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Beat 3 eggs to blend and pour into the center of the well along with 1 cup of sour cream, 2 tsp. lemon zest and the remaining 5 Tbsp. melted butter (it's okay if butter has re-solidified; go ahead and scrape it in there).

Starting in the center, whisk to blend egg mixture, then make larger circles outward to incorporate dry ingredients. Whisk several more times until the batter is smooth.

Carefully dollop large spoonfuls of batter over fruit (it's okay if pan is still warm and some fruit juices pool around the batter); gently smooth the surface.

Bake the cake until the top is golden brown and a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use a paring knife to loosen the cake from the edge of the pan.

Place a wire rack over the pan, then swiftly invert rack and pan; cake should release from pan on its own. Lift cake pan off cake, peel off parchment and marvel at your creation. If some of the cherries cling to the parchment, tuck them back into place. Let the cake cool completely on the rack.

Whisk remaining 1 cup sour cream with 1-2 Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl. Dollop on each slice before serving.

Makes 10 servings.