Upside Down Cherry Pudding

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream together the butter or margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour, stirring until just combined after each addition.

Pour the batter into a greased 9-inch baking dish, spreading evenly across the bottom.

Drain the sour red pitted cherries, reserving the juice, and scatter the cherries evenly over the batter.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup sugar over the cherries and reserved cherry juice.

Pour the boiling water slowly over the mixture without stirring. The batter will rise during baking to create the pudding texture.

Bake for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the baking dish to loosen the pudding.

Place a serving platter over the baking dish and carefully invert so the cherry mixture becomes the top layer. Serve warm, spooning the cherry sauce over each portion.