Description
Jamie Oliver’s Plum Upside Down Cake celebrates British seasonal fruits with caramelized elegance. Sweet plums nestle atop a golden sponge, delivering rich Mediterranean-inspired comfort that delights dessert enthusiasts with each luscious slice.
Ingredients
Scale
Fruits:
- 4–5 fresh plums (enough to cover the bottom of an 8-inch pan, pitted and thinly sliced)
Wet Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) sour cream, at room temperature (full-fat recommended)
Dry Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup (70 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 325ºF (165ºC). Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in an 8-inch cake pan by placing it directly in the heating oven.
- Remove the pan from the oven and evenly distribute 1/3 cup of packed light brown sugar over the melted butter. Create decorative circular layers by positioning thinly sliced plums in slightly overlapping patterns atop the sugar base.
- Use an electric mixer to cream room-temperature unsalted butter with packed light brown sugar until achieving a fluffy, light consistency. Incorporate one egg, blending thoroughly until integrated.
- Mix in sour cream and vanilla extract, continuing to beat until the mixture appears smooth and homogeneous.
- Sift dry ingredients and gradually incorporate them into the mixture using low mixer speed. Incrementally increase mixing speed, ensuring the batter remains smooth without overmixing.
- Carefully transfer the batter into the prepared pan, gently spreading it to create an even layer that completely covers the plum arrangement.
- Position the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Verify doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean without wet batter.
- After baking, let the cake rest on a wire cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the pan’s edges to loosen the cake.
- Invert the cake onto a serving plate, allowing the plum layer to become the attractive top surface. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally accompanied by lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Plums transform from ordinary fruit to a luxurious dessert centerpiece with caramelized layers that glisten and shine.
- Fresh seasonal stone fruits create dramatic visual impact when carefully arranged in concentric circular patterns.
- Warm serving releases a sticky caramel glaze that clings beautifully to each tender cake slice.
- Room temperature ingredients guarantee smoother batter with consistently lighter cake texture.
- Sour cream introduces rich moisture and subtle tangy undertones that perfectly balance sweet plum flavors.
- Minimal mixing protects the delicate cake structure, ensuring an incredibly tender and soft crumb.
- Brief cooling before inverting allows caramel to set firmly, preventing potential structural cake collapse.
- Incredibly versatile dessert equally stunning as casual afternoon snack or sophisticated dinner party finale.
- Leftover cake remains deliciously moist when sealed in airtight container at room temperature for several days.
- Topping with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream instantly elevates this rustic cake into an indulgent culinary experience.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Sugar: 17 g
- Sodium: 97 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg