This Plum Upside Down Cake has got to be one of my favorite late summer cakes. It’s not your humble, old, everyday upside-down cake. Nope. It’s rather spectacular!
Plum Upside Down Cake
This is a cake so good I once made it twice in a week. It was really the fault of the plums, which just happened to be so perfect I bought extras. After we ate the first cake, I knew that the rest of the plums were destined for greatness as well! It was an “Ooops, I did it again,” moment for sure.
About Plum Upside Down Cake:
Not only is this cake a looker (have you ever seen a more beautiful upside-down cake?), but the looks are matched by the taste. The plums on top all but melt into a jammy deliciousness, intensified by their time in the oven soaking in a light, caramelly syrup at the bottom of the pan.
There have been times when taking a piece of upside-down cake seems more obligatory than not; it can be one of those “if it’s there, I’ll eat it” things. The cake here is NOT that kind of cake; it more than holds its own with the plums. I think it’s going to be my “go-to” to try with other fruits.
I rarely put out a recipe from someone else as is; I might be inspired by and/or adapt or combine ideas from several sources with my own touches, but in this case, it comes as is from Cook’s Illustrated. As is. I only wish I could take credit because it is perfection!
Plum Upside Down Cake
Making Plum Upside Down Cake:
There’s a reason the cake portion of this recipe is so good. There’s a lot of care in transforming everyday ingredients by using great techniques. So know that you’ll need to allow some time when making it.
Plum Upside Down Cake uses the creaming method. Simply put, that’s when softened butter is beaten until light and fluffy with sugar. Then egg yolks are added, followed by alternating dry and wet ingredients as they are added.
Leave it to Cook’s Illustrated, though, to take things to the next level. The instructions call to use the egg whites, too, whipping them up to stiff peaks and folding them into the batter.
When baking, be sure to place something under the cake to catch any possible drips.
Arrange the plums
The Cornmeal:
Plum Upside Down Cake does have a bit of weirdness: there’s a little cornmeal. Use fine cornmeal, or the cake will be gritty.
- In discussions, many said they simply omitted the cornmeal, while others replaced it with more flour or almond flour.
- I used the cornmeal. I thought it helped with the rustic vibe an upside-down cake should have.
Serve With:
- Upside-down cake is best still warm from the oven; if serving guests, make it a little ahead and serve it room temperature.
- I personally prefer the cake with ice cream when it’s warm and whipped cream after it’s cooled.
The top is stunning
Leftover Plum Upside Down Cake:
Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for four days. After the cake has cooled, wrap it very well so it doesn’t dry out.
While I have not attempted it, freezing should be fine. Thaw in the fridge, but adjust the wrapping so it doesn’t adhere to the cake.
Other Casual Cake Recipes You Might Like:
I have quite a few varied chicken salad recipes on my site. Here are a few to get you started, but be sure to use the search bar or follow the tags at the bottom of the post for more!
- Rhubarb Pistachio Cake – so different and unusual, my Stepmom in particular loved it!
- Peach Upside Down Cake – a classic, barely adapted from Southern Living.
- The Original Blackberry Torte – This cake has had a following for decades! Can be made with other fruits.
Rhubarb Pistachio Cake
Saving Money on Groceries:
What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.
- The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
- If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.
Plums:
- In season from July through September, the best pricing and availability are at their peak, late summer. Watch for sales at the grocery store, and buyers’ clubs may have great deals.
- Look for plums that feel heavy for their size with even color; gently press the bottom; it should slightly yield when ripe. Nestle in a shallow bowl on top of a thin towel, away from other fruit. Once ripe, do not wash; move to the fridge where they’ll last three to four days.
General Baking Items:
- Never buy baking items when needed and never pay full price. Instead, stock up during your grocery holiday sales, especially before Easter and the Winter Holidays. Many items are up to half off.
- Discount stores have good pricing on baking items year-round, as does your buyer’s club, although quantities are larger.
- Immediately when arriving home, freeze items containing flour for three days.
Butter:
If you have a deep freeze (and you should), there’s no reason to buy butter at full price. It goes on sale often and keeps well.
- While on sale before any holiday, rock-bottom pricing is before the Winter Holidays, and often matched by sales before Easter. Count out the weeks between holidays and buy appropriately.
- Discount stores have great pricing on butter year-round (and sale prices before holidays).
Brown Sugar:
- Pick up before the Winter Holidays or Easter, but watch for sporadic sales. The discount stores are great bets.
- Making your own does save money over buying if you use it often and/or have other uses for molasses. See Homemade Light or Dark Brown Sugar.
Vanilla or other Extracts:
- Vanilla prices drop before the Winter Holidays and Easter, but one of the best times to stock up is late spring.
- McCormick rolls out coupons, and stores run big sales in response. In addition, you’ll see Catalinas (the little slips that print with your receipt). There’s no set schedule; keep an eye on your favorite coupon-matching for alerts.
I have a confession: plums are not usually one of my favorite fruits, but they are fabulous in this cake! Hope you enjoy.
Mollie
Plum Upside Down Cake
Plum Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
For the Plum Mixture:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 5 medium plums, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch slices *
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2/3 cup milk
* Plum sizes can vary; it’s a good idea to have a couple extra on hand.
Instructions
For the Plum Mixture:
Prepare the pans: Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square or round, 3-inch deep metal cake pan. If using a 10″ cast iron skillet, no need to grease.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is foamy and pale, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour mixture into prepared pan; distribute evenly. If using cast iron, simply melt the butter in, brushing a little over the sides. Add the brown sugar and cook as above.
Arrange the fruit over topping; set aside. Working in concentric circles is not necessary, but it looks nice.
For the Cake:
Position the oven rack in the lower middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, cream the butter. Gradually add the cup of sugar. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in yolks and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, mixing well, then half the wet, mixing well. Follow with another 1/3 of the dry and the remainder of the wet, mixing after each. Finish with the final 1/3 cup dry and mix until batter is smooth. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites in a large bowl at low speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium-high; beat to soft peaks. Gradually add remaining two tablespoons of sugar; continue to beat into stiff peaks. Gently fold a quarter of the egg whites into the flour mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.
Pour batter into pan and spread evenly on top of the fruit. Bake until top of the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean, 60 to 65 minutes.
Rest cake on wire rack for two minutes for a cake pan, about five for a cast iron skillet. Slide a pairing knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a serving platter over the pan and holding tightly, invert the cake onto the platter. Carefully remove the cake pan. If any fruit sticks to pan or falls off cake, carefully reposition.
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