Title: Apricot Upside Down Cake
 Categories: Cakes
      Yield: 8 servings
  
  Another of my scores this weekend was "from SOUP to DESSERT with the
  NEW Irradiated PET MILK".
  
  That's a book title believe it or not.  It's copyrighted 1934 by Pet
  Milk company.  I was naturally curious as to why they were nuking Pet
  Milk in 1934.  That screwed up my historical perspective pretty good,
  but it turns out that "irradiated" refers to running the milk under
  an ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D content, not making it
  glow in the dark. So once my reality check had subsided and I paged
  through the book, I saw this which made me think of you.
  
  1. In a 9-inch skillet melt 3 tablespoons butter.
  
  2. Remove from heat and sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar.
  
  3. Arrange on sugar 24 canned apricot halves.
  
  Let stand while mixing batter.
  
  4. Beat until very light 2 eggs.
  
  5. Add, while beating, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.
  
  6. Heat to boiling point:  1/4 cup Pet Milk diluted with 1/4 cup
  water and 1 Tbl shortening.
  
  7. Beat into egg mixture.
  
  8.  Sift together:  1 cup sifted cake flour and1 tsp baking powder.
  
  9. Add milk mixture beating quickly but thoroughly.
  
  10. Pour over apricots.
  
  11. Bake in a moderate oven (350F) for 25 to 30 minutes or until
  cake shrinks from sides of pan.  Turn out while warm and serve with
  Whipped Pet Milk Topping.
  
  Serves 6.
  
  That's all pretty straight forward.  What it shows in the pictures
  but not in the text is that the cake is baked in a cast-iron skillet
  like a nice mess of cornbread.
  
  Here's the topping though I can't help but think it's a tad redundant.
  
  WHIPPED PET MILK (as a topping):
  
  Soak for 5 minutes:  1/4 tsp granulated gelatin in 1 tsp cold water.
  Scald in top of double boiler:  1/2 cup Pet Milk. Add gelatin and
  stir until dissolved.  Pour into bowl and chill until icy cold.  Then
  whip with rotary beater until stiff.
  
  Fold in 1 Tbl powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.
  
  Makes about 1 1/2 cups...Serves 8.
  
  NOTE:  The following flavorings may be substituted for the vanilla: 
  2 t orange extract 
  1 t lemon extract 
  1/2 t almond extract and 
  1/2 t lemon extract 
  1/2 t peppermint extract 
  4 drops oil of peppermint