Stone Fruit Upside-down Cake
Baking up the best end-of-summer produce!
Good morning!
I hope this note finds you well and starts off your August on the right foot. I love a Monday morning email that doesn’t have anything to do with work! In fact, I suggest skipping out on work and heading to the grocery or farmer’s market to pick up some peaches, plums or nectarines. Our recipe today celebrates one of my favorite fruit seasons of the year: stone fruit. These are a category of fruit which typically have a pit, which, in addition to the aforementioned fruits, also include favorites like cherries and apricots.
A couple of summers ago, I tried a plum upside-down cake, and it’s been one of my staples ever since. The fruit really shines in an upside-down cake; they’re visually appealing and a fun baking challenge. As usual, this recipe has versatility - in this case, use whatever stone fruit you have on hand or go buy your favorite. My cake recipe uses a method called “reverse creaming,” which helps create a tender cake that is quick to whip up and difficult to overmix. This cake is soft but sturdy and perfectly balances with the caramel-soaked, tart fruit. I definitely recommend enjoying the cake on the day it is baked. I believe this is a ideal dinner party dessert that can be paired with either whipped cream or ice cream.
Stone Fruit Upside-down Cake
Yield: 9” cake pan
Ingredients
Caramel
About 4-5 medium sized stone fruits (peaches, plums, nectarines, etc.)
¾ cup (150g) sugar
2 tablespoons (26g) water
1 tablespoon (14g) butter, melted
1 tablespoon (15g) cream
Cake
¾ cup (150g) sugar
1 ½ cups (220g) ap flour
1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
½ teaspoon (3g) baking soda
¾ teaspoon (2g) kosher salt
1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, RT (Room Temperature)
2 eggs, RT
½ cup (120g) sour cream, RT
2 tablespoons (30g) heavy cream, RT
2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut a circular piece of parchment paper to fit inside your cake pan. Coat the cake pan with cooking spray then line with parchment paper.
Step 2
Cut fruit into even slices. Arrange in your cake pan.
Step 3
In a large saucepan, add your sugar in an even layer. Let your sugar start to cook. Once it starts to bubble slightly, stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. It will continue to dissolve and gradually become darker. If this is happening quickly and there are still chunks of sugar, lower the heat so the sugar melts before the caramel becomes too dark.
Meanwhile, microwave together the water, cream, and butter until the butter melts.
When your caramel reaches a golden, amber color, remove from the heat. Add the water, cream, and butter mixture. Whisk until it dissolves - the mixture will bubble as well as emit steam. Stirring will helping reduce this effect and incorporate your wet ingredients. If the mix seizes (the caramel starts to harden) - don’t worry, put it back on medium heat and whisk until the caramel liquifies.
Pour over the fruit and distribute evenly.
Step 4
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a large bowl with hand mixers, add the sugar, ap flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut your butter into about ½ - 1 inch sized chunks and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until the butter become small, pea-sized pieces.
Step 5
Add your eggs and mix until the batter starts to come together; it’s ok if it turns into a paste-like consistency. Add sour cream, heavy cream and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then beat for another 30 seconds to add a bit of air to your batter (because this is the reverse creaming method, it’s ok and it won’t make your cake dense!).
Step 6
Pour the cake batter over the fruit and caramel. Smooth out with a small offset spatula, knife, or with the back of a spoon. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when the top is golden brown, a cake tester or knife poked in the center comes out clean, and if you lightly touch the top of the cake, it springs back.
Step 7
Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. Place a plate that is large enough to fit over the cake pan on top of the cake pan. Carefully, in one motion, flip the plate and cake pan together until the cake lands on the plate. Gently, remove the parchment paper. This cake is best served the day it is baked but can be covered and stored at room temperature for 2-3 more days.
I can’t stop talking about… my favorite podcasts.
I’ve become one of the insufferable people who always has a comment or fact to share because of a podcast I just listened to. I highly recommend these podcasts if you’re in need something new to enjoy. In no particular order, here are my top 5:
Las Culturistas - Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang discussing all things pop culture.
You’re Wrong About - deep dives on well-known topics but in a fresh, nuanced way.
U Up? - comedy and dating podcast that cracks me up.
What Went Wrong - in depth discussions about movie productions with storied histories.
Bad on Paper - Olivia Muenter and Beeca Freeman discussing books and a few assorted topics like careers, goals, shopping/gifts, etc.
