Apricot Upside Down Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (20 oz.) can apricot halves
1/4 c. margarine, melted
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. coconut
1/3 c. soft shortening
1 egg
1 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. sifted all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. flaked coconut
Maraschino cherries
Apricot sauce

Preparation

Heat oven to 350\u00b0. Have ready a 9 inch square cake pan. Drain apricots well, saving juice for sauce. Stir in margarine, brown sugar and 1/4 c. coconut together in cake pan. Lay apricot halves, some cut side up and others cut side down with a cherry tucked underneath, in the margarine-sugar mixture. Combine shortening, egg and sugar in small mixing bowl. Beat at high speed until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Combine milk and almond extract. Add sifted dry ingredients to shortening mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir until smooth after each addition. Stir in 1/2 c. coconut. Spread over apricots. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until center springs back when touched lightly. Invert on serving plate and let stand over cake a minute to be sure all the apricot mixture drops out. Serve warm, cut in squares and top with a little apricot sauce. Serves 6 or 9.