20 Mar 2012

Tuscan Plum Upside Down Cake

We had family for dinner last night. I don't always do dessert - but my father-in-law is a dessert fan so I decided to find a dessert using our plum surplus. With our Italian leaning this week a Tuscan Plum Upside Down Cake seemed to fit the bill. I haven't made an upside cake before!








Ingredients

  • 275 g Sugar
  • 150 ml Water

  • 900 g Plums, Halved and Stoned 

  • 150 g Soft Butter
  • 175 g Sugar
  • 200 g Self Raising Flour
  • 3 Eggs
       
    Method
    Preheat the oven to 170’c.

  • Put the sugar and water into a heavy based pan (that can go into the oven).
  • Stir over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then cook without stirring until the sugar caramelises to a golden brown. (I turned it off at a hint of brown as the cast iron pan I used held heat and the caramel continued to darken after I removed it from the stove)


  • Carefully and immediately arrange cut side down in a single layer in the caramel (this will be the top of the cake when it is cooked).

  • Put the butter, sugar and flour into the bowl of an electric food processor, whiz for a couple of seconds, then add the eggs and stop as soon as the mixture comes together. ( if you don’t have a food processor, just cream the butter and sugar, add the eggs one by one, then mix in the flour).

  • Spread the mixture in an even layer over the plums in the pan.


  • Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour.

  • The centre should be firm to the touch and the edges slightly shrunk from the sides of the pan.

  • Run a knife around the edges to make sure it has not stuck anywhere.
  • Leave it to sit for 3 or 4 minutes before turning out.

  • Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or crème fraiche.
It was delicious, hot at the time and in my lunch box today. I also have a nectarine stack - I could see this becoming a regular dessert!

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