Cornmeal-Cherry Upside Down Cake

Around these parts there have been sale-priced cherries a'plenty. If you have a cherry pitter (this is important) and want the most delectable fruit/cake combo in existence, I highly recommend you make this Cherry Cornmeal Upside-down Cake I found at smittenkitchen. Let me emphasize at this juncture that if it is your intent to buy a can of cherries rather than use fresh for this recipe, save yourself some time and just buy a box cake. Canned cherries would completely ruin this recipe. If you try it I am sure fines and punishment (other than enduring subpar cake) will ensue. I'm just sayin'.

Much to my chagrin, a cherry pitter was not be had in this town so I halved my cherries and picked the pits out by hand. My fingertips and nails looked lovely for days. Must find cherry pitter. The recipe was not difficult, but time consuming. I confess that mid-way through the process I wondered if it was really worth it, but the first bite convinced me that it was indeed. Remember Scooby Doo's reaction when he finally obtained his coveted scooby-snack? How he would close his eyes and make the "ummm, ummmm" sounds while floating in the air, then sink into a satisfied heap on the ground? That's what happened to me when I placed that first forkful in my mouth. It also happened a couple of times after the first forkful.