I love me an upside-down cake! And after receiving a big box of mangoes, instead of 2 mangoes, in a recent grocery order, I had to find a way to use some mangoes ASAP. This is a simple and delicious recipe. With very little effort, you get a pretty spiral of yummy caramelized mangoes on top of a light and fluffy cake.

My love for upside-down cakes comes from childhood, of course. I grew up on the Big Island in the 70s and a family from the American South moved in down the street. They had two children my age and before I knew it, I was over at their house all the time, watching them use this strange contraption called a “pogo stick” and drinking a new and amazing concoction, which I now know to be “sweet tea.” I distinctly remember being in the kitchen alongside their mother as she baked a pineapple upside-down cake, which, with its maraschino cherry halves, was magical. I’ve had a special place in my heart for upside-down cakes ever since.