Upside Down Plum Spice Cake
Author: 
Recipe type: cake
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 slices
 
This upside down plum spice cake is perfect for fall baking.
Ingredients
  • 3-4 plums, depending on size, pitted and cut into 8ths
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon castor sugar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ⅛ teaspoon (tiny pinch) of allspice
  • same of freshly grated nutmeg
  • ½ cup of buttermilk or plain yogurt thinned with milk
  • 1 cup plain flour
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350F/175F.
  2. If making in skillet, heat the skillet over medium high heat and melt the 2 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of castor sugar, and the maple syrup until bubbling. (otherwise, melt everything in the microwave for 20-30 seconds and mix, then pour over the base of your pan) Lay the fruit over the sugar mixture, fanning the slices in concentric circles and packing in as much fruit as possible.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, blend the olive oil and brown sugar until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat with a spoon or electric whisks until emulsified and fluffy. Whisk in the buttermilk.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and flour. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix only until combined. Do not over mix, or cake will be tough.
  5. Scrape the batter into the skillet (or pan), spreading it to cover the plums. Bake for 30 minutes, then test by inserting a knife or skewer into the center. You should see sticky crumbs, but no batter on tester. If necessary, bake for a further 5 minutes and re-test.
  6. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then carefully (and with oven mitts) invert the cake onto a plate. If any plums have stuck to the pan, remove them carefully and re-apply them to their spot on the cake.
  7. Serve warm with a drizzle of cream and a nice cup of tea.
Recipe by The Bright Kitchen at https://www.thebrightkitchen.com/upside-down-plum-spice-cake/