Concord Grape and Lemon Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

• For the caramel:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 tablespoons butter
• For the cake:
• 1 1/2 cups seedless Concord Grapes
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons zest from 1 lemon, plus lemon flesh cut into supremes and diced

Directions

1. Set a rack in the middle of your oven and heat it to 375 degrees F. For the caramel, put the sugar, honey, and butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. When the butter has fully melted, stir now and then so the mixture comes together. Let it cook until it turns a very pale brown, about 3 minutes. Right away, tip it into a 9-inch pie or cake pan. Holding the pan carefully at the sides, tilt it in a gentle circle so the caramel covers the whole bottom. Leave it to cool and firm up.
2. When the caramel has set, use soft butter to lightly coat the inside walls of the pan. Scatter in the grapes, adjusting the amount as needed so they sit in one snug single layer. Set the pan aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until blended, then put it aside. In another mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt, milk, and vanilla together. As you keep whisking, add the melted butter in a slow, continuous pour so it emulsifies. Mix in the lemon zest, then gently fold through the lemon pieces. Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture and fold softly, stopping as soon as the batter is just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating it once midway, until a skewer or paring knife poked into the center is damp but not coated with batter. Let the cake rest for 3 to 5 minutes, then slide a paring knife around the perimeter and turn it out onto a plate or serving platter. Let it cool until it is nearly room temperature before you serve it.