Cherry Semolina Upside-Down Cake

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° and prepare your cake pan with non-stick spray.
2. Brown 5 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Keep swirling the butter as it heats; remove from heat when butter just starts to turn brown and smell nutty. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger; stir to combine. Press this mixture into the cake pan; it doesn’t have to be spread evenly; it will naturally even out with the heat of the oven.
3. Press the cherries flat-side down into the brown sugar mixture, making concentric circles that fill the pan completely.
4. For the next step, the eggs and butter must be at room temperature to prevent curdling. Mix the remaining butter and granulated sugar on medium-low speed, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. After incorporating the last egg, scrape the bowl with a spatula and continue mixing for an additional minute to make sure that there is no butter stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
5. In a separate bowl, combine both flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; stir to combine. Add ½ of the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until incorporated. While the mixer is on medium-low, stream the buttermilk slowly into the mixture and incorporate. Then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
6. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan over the cherries. Bake for 35 minutes on the middle rack, rotating the pan after 20 minutes. Continue baking an additional 15 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick: if the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done; if not, continue baking for another five minutes and test again.
7. Let the finished cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then invert over a cooling rack to finish cooling.
8. Optional: Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.