Happy Easter to one and all !
Spring is trying so very hard today, you can see the edges of her here on Orrs Island. A lazy day with no agenda, quite a gift after all the hustle and bustle of traveling up from the south. We did seem to ease back into the rhythm here on the island, looking up neighbors, listening to them cursing and saying good riddance to old man winter, a dinner at the Dolphin to see all the old familiar faces that survived winter here in Maine. The land itself here fared well and in a couple of weeks I will be able to see just how much winter kill there was in the garden.
But…………….today, oh so relaxing, just spending company with my sweetie and doing what ever trips across our minds. Of course ham is in order today, but why not have dessert first ?
I love working with plums, I can always be sure if they are firm at the store that the pit will easily cut away and slicing of this yummy fruit will be very simple, unlike the mercurial peach or nectarine that can disappoint once the slicing begins. So here goes, I hope you'll give this one a try it really is delicious.
Plum Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
The Topping:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed golden brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 6 large plums or 10 medium plums, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 wedges. Note:Smaller plums may not separate from the pit as well. Instead of plum slices you will get plum chunks and morsels. There will be no difference in taste!
The Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup milk
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream reserved for serving
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and honey in heavy medium skillet over low heat until butter melts and sugar and honey blend in, forming thick, smooth sauce. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Arrange plums in overlapping concentric circles atop sauce.
- Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons of butter until light. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing just until blended. Spoon batter evenly over plums. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool in pan 30 minutes.
- Using knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter atop cake pan. Invert cake; place platter on work surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift off pan. Serve cake warm with whipped cream.
Best wishes to all !!
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