Maple Upside-Down Cake (Québec)

A kid's favourite, this cake combines the traditional tastes and textures of an upside-down cake with the wonderful flavour of pure maple syrup.

1 cup Québec pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour, unbleached
2 tsp. baking powder
sea salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon or nutmeg
½ cup milk
¼ cup walnuts, chopped, optional

For serving:
vanilla ice cream or whipped topping

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Generously butter an 8” square baking pan.

Measure butter, sugar and egg into a bowl, and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until creamy.

Mix flour, unbleached, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon (or nutmeg) together. Add the dry ingredients and the milk, a little at a time and alternating between the two, to the creamed butter mixture. Stir until well blended.

Measure syrup into a small saucepan. Heat the syrup until it boils and pour into a prepared pan. If using chopped walnuts, add them to the hot syrup.

Scoop up the dough in four large balls and drop them into the hot maple syrup. Using two forks, stretch dough the edges of the balls until the dough forms one large mass.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve warm, with ice cream or whipping cream, if desired.

Makes 16 servings.