Plum Cake Upside Down Cake

Hi there.

I've decided this is the best thing I've made all summer.  You should take a look.

It's called Plum upside down cake, but I wouldn't turn it upside down if I were you, just serve it in the pan.  Or not.  I'm not promising it will flip though.  We could shorten the name to Plum cake...but that's rather boring don't you think?

Of course it's irrelevant what you call it.  There is sugar, butter and cake involved and the most deliciously tart Santa Rosa plums.  Considering I didn't think I really liked plums I've sure used them a lot this summer.  Three different preserves and three different desserts.  I can officially say they are on the love list.

There are two cakes here, one for our company and one for the neighbor lady across the street who just had her baby.  The recipe however is for one 9 inch cake.  I think I'll make this one again, tomorrow.

Plum Cake (with the option of being upside down)


Recipe from Simply Recipes.


Ingredients:
150 g (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp) butter, softened
75 g (1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp) brown sugar
5 plums (Santa Rosa if you can) pitted and quartered
5 Tbsp buttermilk (or 5 Tbsp milk and two tsp lemon juice)
90 g (3/4 cup) cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
zest of 1/2 an orange
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter your 9 inch (or 8 inch) cake pan.  Melt 6 Tbsp of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the brown sugar over the heat and whisk until smooth (it does take a minute).  Pour the brown sugar/butter mixture into the bottom of your pan. Arrange the quartered plums in a nice pattern on top.

If you are using the milk/lemon mixture combine now.  Set aside.  Sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

In a mixer beat remaining 4 Tbsp of butter with sugar and orange zest.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well incorporated.  Add the buttermilk and dry ingredients in alternate additions to the batter.

Cover the plums evenly with the batter.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes (for a 9 inch pan) until the cake is firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes of clean (or wet from the plum juices, not batter.)  Be sure to turn the cake half way through for even cooking.  Cool on a rack until it is no longer hot to the touch.  You could try to turn it out onto a cake pan now, or just leave it alone.  That's it!