Upside-down lemon cake, in the Azerbaijani style

Ingredients

• 3 lemons
• 200 g of butter
• 50 g of dark brown sugar
• 190 g of flour
• 2 tablespoons of baking powder
• 200 grams of sugar
• 3 tablespoons of finely grated lemon zest
• 2 eggs (separated into whites and yolks)
• 1/4 cup of vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt
• 120 ml of milk

Slice the lemons thinly (the thinner, the better), and remove the seeds. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

In a non-stick baking dish, melt 70g of butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Add the lemon slices, increase the heat slightly, and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and arrange the lemon slices carefully.

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a bowl. Beat the remaining butter in the mixer until it becomes light and fluffy. Add the sugar, zest, egg yolks, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed and gradually add the flour and milk, beating after each addition.

Whip the egg whites separately. Gradually fold them into the batter by hand, gently, without overmixing.

Pour, spread the batter evenly over the lemon slices.

Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes in the center of the oven, or until the top is golden brown. Then, let it cool for 15 minutes in the pan.

Use a knife to carefully detach the edges of the cake and turn it upside down onto a heat-resistant plate. Let it cool for another 5 minutes before serving.