Peach and Plum Upside-Down Cake

I found myself baking much more often lately. Even though it is summer and it is hot enough without the oven on, there is nothing better than the smell of baking in my kitchen. The house filled with warm aromas of cookies, cakes and pies just makes me happy. And there is always the first bite, the moment of truth. Is it as good as you expected? Would I change anything in the recipe, maybe add less sugar or few drops of almond extract...

After purchasing couple great baking books and subscribing to few great "baking blogs" - my "want to make folder" is growing rapidly. Fall is my favorite baking season, and I know, I will be sad to say goodbye to the summer, but there is something great about the harvest season, its cool evenings, the cinnamon and cloves and cider, and the endless possibilities of baking with apples...


But anyway - today is about plums, and plum upside down cake. Actually my cake has mixed plums and peaches to make it more summery. I research for a perfect recipe, there are quite of few available online. I made the cake batter with cinnamon and milk, and the topping with butter and brown sugar. Another recipe I found - had sour cream added to the batter and regular sugar in topping. Both looked equally great, and my next upside down cake will be experimenting with the other recipe. Maybe it will be apple upside down ...



This cake is tender and moist, the brown sugar-butter topping is juicy and melts in your mouth. Perfect combination of plums and peaches makes it a great dessert. This recipe is a keeper.

For Topping:
3/4 stick of butter (6 TBS)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 TBS honey
6 large plums, pitted and cut in wedges (I used 4 white plums and 2 large peaches)

For Cake:
3/4 stick of butter (6 TBS) - I used margarine, it works well for baking, and it has fewer calories
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract (goes really well with stone fruit, like plums, peaches)
1/2 cup of milk
2 TBS buttermilk
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Topping: Place butter, brown sugar and honey in a saucepan and melt together on low heat, whisk to combine. Pour into 9 or 10 inch round cake pan with at last 2 inch sides. (Do not use spring pan form, it will leak) Arrange sliced plums evenly over the butter-brown sugar mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). In a medium bowl mix in all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Melt the butter in a microwave. In a bowl with electric mixer pour melted butter, add sugar and beat for couple of minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and almond extract, beat until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and buttermilk, mixing until well blended. Spoon batter evenly over plums.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until golden and tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to rack and cool for 30 minutes. Using a knife, cut around the sides of pan to loosen the cake. Place serving platter on top of the cake pan and invert cake. Lift the pan, and serve the cake.

Plums can be substituted for peaches, apples, pineapples, blueberries, or other combinations of fruit.



That little someone couldn't wait to get a bite of this amazing upside-down cake. It only took a second and he was on the top of table getting started with my slice! :)