A Slow Week in the Garden, But Time for Cake!
It’s been a bit of a quiet week in the garden. I’ve been eagerly waiting for our last tomatoes to ripen, but unfortunately, the unusually high temperatures this week and last are putting a halt on that. While tomatoes love the sun, when the heat cranks up to these levels, they tend to stall out. Instead of turning that perfect red, they hold onto their green color and make us gardeners play the waiting game. Hopefully, with a few cooler days on the horizon, the tomatoes will get back on track and I’ll have more than enough to start canning sauces and salsa again. I find this part of the gardening season so uninteresting but I appreciate the slow down after a busy summer.
While we wait for the tomatoes to cooperate, I decided to shift gears and focus on the kitchen. After all, part of the joy of gardening is using what you grow (or what’s sitting around the kitchen!) to make something delicious. I’ve been eyeing a few plums that were starting to look a little overripe on the counter. They’d reached that point where they’re still perfectly edible but a little soft for my taste to eat fresh. Instead of tossing them out or letting them go to waste, I turned them into a tasty treat: upside-down cake.
Why an Upside-Down Cake?
Now, this upside-down cake recipe has been a reliable go-to of mine for nearly a decade. I’ve tried it with so many different fruits, and it’s always a hit. Nectarines, peaches, apples, pears, berries—you name it, I’ve probably baked it into this cake. That’s the beauty of this recipe: it’s super flexible, forgiving and comes together in a pinch. I am not joking, this cake packs a visual punch, but is really no harder than any other cakes you have baked. Plus, it’s the perfect way to make use of any fruit you have lying around that’s past its prime but still perfectly good.
There’s something so satisfying about an upside-down cake. I love how the fruit on the bottom gets all caramelized and sticky from the brown sugar, while the cake on top stays light and fluffy. When you flip it over, the beautiful fruit layer is revealed, and it just feels a little more special than your typical cake.
If you’ve never made an upside-down cake before, don’t be intimidated! It’s actually really simple, and the results are always impressive. The hardest part is waiting for the cake to cool just a little before flipping it out of the pan and resisting the urge to dig in immediately.
So, without further ado, here’s my upside-down cake recipe.
Ingredients:
¾ cup brown sugar
3 plums (or other fruit)
¾ cup sugar
6 Tbs butter or margarine
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup milk or non-dairy substitute
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp almond extract
1 egg
1 ⅓ cups flour
½ tsp salt
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Cut out a 9” round piece of parchment paper and line the bottom of your cake pan.
Spread brown sugar evenly on the bottom your cake pan.
Arrange your fruit slices over the brown sugar in a single layer.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla, almond extract, and egg. Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with milk, until just combined.
Pour the batter over the fruit in the cake pan, spreading it out evenly.
Bake for around 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake rest for 2 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a serving plate. Enjoy the sweet caramelized fruit on top!
Even though the fruit for this particular cake didn’t come from the garden, I love the idea of reducing waste and using up what you have on hand—whether that’s fresh garden produce or leftover fruit from the store. When the tomatoes finally ripen, I’m looking forward to sharing more garden-to-table recipes with you all.
In the meantime, give this upside-down cake a try! It’s quick, easy, and endlessly adaptable. I’d love to hear what fruits you end up using and how it turns out.