Plum Upside Down Cake

Perfectly light, but still dense enough, cinnamon almond cake, with a layer of juicy, caramelized plums, this plum upside down cake is the ideal, easy summer cake.

When should you flip an upside down cake?

Most upside down cakes are fragile when still warm so they need to sit for at least 10 minutes before flipping. On the other hand you don’t want to wait too long as the fruit layer will get too attached to the pan. 10-15 minutes seems to be the ideal amount of time to wait before flipping an upside down cake.

How do you remove an upside down cake?

There are a few ways to remove an upside down cake but my favorite is to use a parchment lined springform pan. This is the most foolproof way that I have found because you can gently remove the edges of the pan making sure nothing sticks. Then, place a plate upside down over the cake and flip the cake over with the pan and plate, and carefully peel back the parchment paper.

Can you freeze an upside down cake?

Yes! I love to freeze this plum cake by cutting any extra into individual slices, wrapping them in plastic wrap and then storing in a freezer ziploc bag. To defrost, take out as many slices as you want and defrost, still wrapped, in the fridge overnight or on the counter at room temperature for 4-6 hours.

What types of plums should you use for baking?

I can’t lie, I LOVE italian plums for baking, they tend to be smaller and full of flavor but hard to find! For this recipe I used red plums which have a beautiful color inside but I also think it would be fun with whole halves of pluots face down in the caramel.

Additional Recipes to try:

• Upside Down Rhubarb Cake
• Plum Cake
• Aprikosenkuchen – Apricot Cake

Tips for making Plum Upside Down Cake

• You want to use ripe plums for this, if they aren’t ripe it isn’t the end of the world since they are sliced so thinly but they won’t have the same delicious flavor and texture.
• I recommend slicing the plums before you start on the butter and sugar for the base because once you pour it into the pan it will harden quickly. It’s ok if it does but the plums won’t be as secure when you pour in the cake batter.
• If you have a nut allergy, you can definitely leave out the almond extract and sliced almonds but if not I HIGHLY recommend because they add so much yummy flavor and texture.
• In order for the cake batter to mix quickly and evenly, all ingredients need to be room temperature or slightly warm.
• Don’t underbake this cake, it should be a deep golden brown as much of the moisture from the rhubarb will soak into the cake which will keep it from drying out.
• The plums with release quite a bit of juice so be careful when you flip it that they don’t spray everywhere.
• If you don’t have a springform pan, a 9″ metal cake pan will work too!

Ingredients

Plum Layer

• Plums: I used fresh red plums for this cake but it’s also delicious with Italian plums if you can find them! How many you need will somewhat depend on the size of the plums.
• Butter: Butter is used in both the bottom layer (which becomes the top) of the cake mixed with the brown sugar to create a delicious soak into the cake.
• Brown Sugar: This recipes uses light brown or standard brown sugar, it has a warm, caramel kind of flavor that mixes so well with the plums.

Cake Layer

• All Purpose Flour: Any all purpose flour should work for this cake. I don’t recommend substituting other flours unless you are willing to do a little trial and error. I use King Arthur flour when baking.
• Baking Soda & Baking Powder: Both baking soda and baking powder leaven the cake and the baking soda also helps tenderize the cake.
• White Granulated sugar: Granulated sugar gets mixed with the other vanilla cake batter ingredients to sweeten the cake.
• Salt: a little salt balances out the sweetness and actually enhances the flavors!
• Eggs: I use standard large eggs from the grocery store, be sure they are at room temperature so they blend well into the other ingredients.
• Yogurt: This cake is great because it’s pretty flexible, I like to use yogurt (best is full fat) but you can also use sour cream, skyr, or even quark.
• Butter: The butter for the cake batter should be soft before adding it into the cake but not melted.
• Cinnamon: A teaspoon of cinnamon is a delicious and warming addition to the plum flavor!
• Vanilla and Almond extract: I like to use both extracts in this cake to give it a little extra depth of flavor but if needed you can leave out the almond extract.
• Sliced almonds: These are optional if you have a nut allergy, or if you don’t have them and it’s the only thing your missing, BUT if you just aren’t sure about it, do it! Try something new, they add such a yummy crunch to the bottom of the cake that works so well with the soft and juicy plums on top.

How to make Plum Upside Down Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350º F and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Prepare the Plums

• Rinse and dry the plums.
• Cut each plum in half and twist opposite from each other to separate one half from the pit. Make another cut, halving the half that is still attached to the stone. Peel of one wedge and then take the stone off of the other wedge.
• Slice the halves and wedges into 1/2″ thick slices and set aside.

Brown Sugar Butter Base

• Line a 9″ springform pan with a sheet of parchment paper. If using a leakproof style pan, lay the parchment across the bottom and then place the ring on top. This helps prevent leakage, it won’t stop it all together but definitely helps.
• In a medium pot or pan, add in the brown sugar and butter. Heat over medium low until melted and the it begins to bubble. Stir occasionally while cooking to prevent it from burning.
• Pour the brown sugar and butter mixture into the lined pan, tilt the pan so that the mixture reaches all the way to the edges.
• Arrange the plum slices on the brown sugar and butter base in your preferred mosaic pattern – they should cover the bottom of the pan, ideally overlapping because they will shrink as they bake. I did it in groups of 4 slices fanning out from each other but a spiral would be pretty too!
• Set aside while making the cake batter.

Vanilla Cake Batter & Bake

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine and then add in the yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla and almond extracts.
• Beat with the paddle attachment, starting on low speed until just mixed and then increasing to high speed for another 30 seconds.
• Once mixed, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully mixed.
• Pour the batter over the plums. Spread the vanilla cake batter over the plum layer with a rubber spatula, careful not to shift the plums, into a smooth layer all the way to the edges.
• Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds.
• Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan 180º and bake for another 12-17 minutes until the cake is a deep golden brown color and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Then, run a knife between the edge of the cake and the pan.
• Release the springform pan and remove the collar. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the cake, followed by a plate turned upside down that is larger than the cake.
• Holding onto the cooling rack and upside down plate, with the cake sandwiched in between, flip the whole sandwich over so the cooling rack is on top and the plate on the bottom. Do so carefully as some of the juices can spray a bit.

Cooling & Serving

• Remove the cooking rack and cake base. Gently peel the parchment away from the bottom of the cake. Allow to cool for at least another 10 minutes before cutting with a long sharp knife.
• Optionally serve with a drizzle of Vanille Soße. This cake is easier to cut once it is fully cooled but most delicious when warm.
• I recommend storing left overs in an airtight container in the fridge and then microwaving for 15-30 seconds before serving. And if you’re short on time but want a vanille soße dupe, melt down some vanilla bean ice cream and drizzle it on top instead!

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