Plum Upside-Down Cake

A delicious segue from summer to fall

Confession: up until this year I have been unfairly biased against upside-down cakes, imagining them to be unpleasantly soggy. But faced with a glut of plums this month and wanting to make something other than That Cake, I decided to give the upside-down genre a shot.

I’m sorry, upside-down cakes, for my unfair prejudice. While the fruity top layer does get soft and juicy, this is not a downfall. It reads as a sticky, almost pudding-like contrast to the buttery cake below, all melded together with a butterscotch-y “crust.” Enjoy a slice alongside your morning cup of coffee or serve it for dessert, dolloped with creme fraiche or ice cream. It truly is an anytime cake.

Baker’s Notes

• Choose plums that are on the firm side. They’ll be easier to cut and hold their shape best once baked. I used Italian prune plums, but any kind of plum should work. A variety with some acidity helps to balance the sweet topping.

• The cake uses the reverse-creaming method for a layer that’s both tender and sturdy (and easy to mix!). The tight and even crumb holds up under the soft topping, resisting sogginess.

• Even though we’re in mid-September I wasn’t quite ready to bust out all the warm spices yet. You can certainly add 1-2 tsp of your favorites to the dry ingredients if you’d like. Some ginger and cardamom would be lovely!

• Don’t be tempted to flip the cake out of the tin too early. The juices need some time to settle and thicken. Lining the pan with parchment ensures a clean release.

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Plum Upside-Down Cake

Makes one 9” cake