When my friend Martin asked if I would bring a lemon dessert to his Memorial Day Smoked Brisket party, I just couldn't muster any enthusiasm for making a dessert that can really be served any 12 months of the year. I usually love to bake, but I was dreading the prospect of juicing dozens of overpriced lemons while waiting for my tart shells to rest. Baking a lemon tart (and that was already down-sized from his initial request for a lemon-meringue pie) was just one more chore in a very busy weekend.

But then, I spotted my bowl of perfectly ripe apricots, glowing with their vibrant hues of golden pink and orange, and the world was suddenly a rosier place. The short-lived apricot season is happening right now and I've always wanted to try the Apricot Upside Down Cake in one of my favorite summer cookbooks, The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market Cookbook. I love making upside down cakes — in addition to their old-fashioned charm, there is always that element of surprise at the end when you flip the fruits of your labor and lift the cover. I suddenly couldn't wait to start to baking.

The cake came out beautifully, but when I brought it to the party, it got a little lost on a dessert-laden buffet table. Mine was not the biggest (beaten by a cherry pecan pie) nor the flashiest (a banana cream pudding topped with Chess Cookies), but I think it won the "Understated and Elegant" award. It wasn't overly sweet and, served with a side of tart crème fraîche, had a sophisticated and grownup taste. Fortunately, with so many choices, about one-third of the cake was left over; when host Martin was giving away leftovers, I grabbed the cake and ran. The next day I served it to some different friends and it was a huge hit.

So what is the point of this? Cooking should be a joy, so pick a project you really want to work on. Professionally speaking, I'm weak on pastry, so I love the journey of baking when I'm home alone in my kitchen and no one is watching. The finished product is just, well, icing on the cake.