Grilled Peach Upside Down Cake

Every Saturday morning, I make a trip to Trader Joe's with the intent to stock up on necessities for the week. Sometimes, things end up in my cart that might not be classified as "a necessity" (tater tots), but for the most part I stick to my list.

One of the highlights of late spring / early summer is when I walk into Trader Joe's and see their crates of fresh peaches stacked high in the entryway.

I. Love. Fresh. Peaches.

Let's take a step back. I love fresh peaches, so long as they aren't mealy. It's such a disappointment to bite into a fresh, fragrant peach, preparing for the juice to dribble down your chin, only to be met with mealy, flavorless mush. Talk about a buzzkill.

This is one of the reasons why I get so excited to see the peach crates at T.J's. I've been buying these crates for three years, now, and I have yet to taste anything but a juicy, sweet peach. I'll usually buy the fruit a bit underripe, so that I have a few extra days to eat them, although finishing the peaches has never, ever been a problem.

I've even been known to buy two or three crates at a time. After I've added the fruit to smoothies, mixed it into salads and sliced it over my cereal, I let the remaining peaches serve as inspiration for a new recipe.

Like this cake, for instance.

This play on a pineapple upside down cake is topped with sliced or halved peaches and spiced with cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and a touch of rum in the batter, giving it the flavor of a cobbler but the texture of a moist cake.

This cake is a winner. I might go so far as to call it a new favorite. And, it's easy to make: 10-15 minutes of prep time and then baked in one pan directly on the grill (or in your oven.)

That's right. Baked on the grill. Betcha didn't know you could do that, did ya?

It's true. You can. Baking on the grill is similar to baking in the oven, but there's a bit more babysitting involved. You need to pay more attention to maintaining the temperature under the lid, as it could fluctuate, and it's best to bake over indirect heat so that you don't burn whatever you are baking. So, pour a glass of wine, move the party outside (if it's not already out there) and babysit your dessert while it bakes.

**Note: Now would also be a good time to send someone out for vanilla bean ice cream if you don't already have some in the freezer.

Of course, if you'd rather just bake this cake in the oven, that's perfectly fine, too. Either way, your friends and family will be happy with the results.

This recipe yielded four mini cakes when I used small cast-iron skillets, which I found at World Market. I'm just a fan of mini desserts. You can also use a standard 10-inch skillet to make one large cake, or you could even use a fireproof cake pan or skillet. All if the details regarding these variations are noted in the recipe.