Fresh Apple & Plum Buttermilk Upside Down Cake

Contains:  Dairy products.  Is:  Vegetarian, a dessert.

A lot of the upside down cakes are made using canned fruits.  It is (the tail end of) fresh fruit season here, so I decided to use fresh apple and fresh plum that happened to be lurking around my house to make this recipe.  

This is handy as a brunch item, or as a dessert.  

You can see my original (back in February a year or two ago) canned pear upside down cake.  I based mine off of a canned peach upside down cake, which you will find linked there.  I do NOT like canned peaches (fresh ones are wonderful), so I’d gone with pears then.  

This time, I wanted FRESH stone-fruit.  Apples (Cortland, here) and plums happened to be in my house.  Saved me an over an hour round trip to a real supermarket simply to buy fruit – so here we are.  

Very minor recipe changes.  I modified the spices lightly, and since there was no canned juice, I used water at that step, instead.  And of course, different fruit.  I LOVE adaptable recipes. 

Cake is done. It’s still right-side-up, of course.

SO, here is this variant, do enjoy.  

Prep Time:  20 minutes.
Cook Time: 35-40 minutes. 
Rest Time:  10-15 minutes.
Serves: 4-8.  
Leftovers:  Yes.  And I am experimenting with freezing a portion. 

Fresh Apple & Plum Buttermilk Upside Down Cake

• Suitable fresh stone-fruit (ie, your choice of apple, peach, pear, nectarine, plum.)  I used just over a half of a large Cortland apple, plus two medium-large purple plums.
• 1/3 cup / 80 mL packed brown sugar  I used brown coconut sugar.
• 2 tablespoons water. 
• 4 tablespoons butter.  Divide and melt  (1 tablespoon and 3 tablespoons)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice.  (You could also use cinnamon instead.
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• (OR, instead of the allspice / nutmeg:  Use 1/4 + 1/8  teaspoon “apple pie spice” mix.)
• 1.5 cups / 355 mL all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup / 120 mL white granulated sugar 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, room temperature best.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 cup / 240 mL buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 350 F° / 177 C°..

De-seed fruit, and slice into thin slivers (for the apple), or across (for the plums).

Mix brown sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, allspice, and nutmeg, as well as  those 2 tablespoons of water together.

Place the above mixture into a 9-in. round lightly-oiled baking pan. Layer the fruit slices over the top, artistically if so inspired.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In yet another bowl, mix the whole egg, vanilla, buttermilk, and the rest of the butter, making certain that the butter is now cool enough that it doesn’t curdle the egg.  

Add the contents of this last bowl to the dry ingredients and stir just until lightly combined.

Using a large spoon, layer this last over the previous contents of the baking pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes.  Test for done-ness by using a toothpick, if it comes out clean, it is done.

Cool 10 -15 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter.  You can serve still warm (yum), but room temperatures is just as good.  

Link parties, blog hops, and shared spaces:  

• Farm Fresh Tuesdays.  
• Homestead Blog Hop.
• Fiesta Friday.  Co-host this week is Liz @ Spades, Spatulas & Spoons
• What’s for Dinner, Sunday Link-Up.
• Full Plate Thursday.