Upside-Down Cardamom-Spiced Plum Cake
Peak-season plums mean plum cake—and we can do no better than this enchanting recipe, inspired by Claire Ptak’s upside-down fig cake.
- MakesMakes one 8½-inch loaf cake
- Cook Time1½ hours
- Active time plus cooling35 minutes active, plus cooling
- 16
Claire Ptak, proprietor of Violet Cakes, taught us a trio of simple but sumptuous loaf cakes during a recent visit to her bakery-café in East London. This one, an upside-down affair, features a caramelly layer of sliced fruit that becomes syrupy and supple with baking, and a sturdy, buttery cake made with almond and rye flours (but no wheat flour). Sweetened with brown sugar and aromatic with cardamom and grated orange zest, the dark, moist crumb is more akin to steamed pudding than a light, delicate cake. Ptak used fresh figs, but since figs are highly seasonal, we used plums instead. For an autumnal dessert, pears work beautifully, too; use two ripe but firm small pears (5 to 6 ounces each), peeled, halved, cored and sliced ¼ inch thick. An 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan is best; if baked in a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, the cake will sink in the center and also is rather squat. If you like, serve slices dolloped with crème fraîche, which complements the fruity, molasses-y notes with cool, creamy, tangy richness. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.
Don’t skip the step of lining the loaf pan with parchment. The parchment ensures that the cake will invert easily out of the pan and that the fruit layer won’t stick.
Step 1
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. Mist an 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, then line it with an 8-by-14-inch piece of kitchen parchment, allowing the excess to hang over the long sides of the pan.
Step 2
To make the caramel-plum layer, in a small saucepan, combine the butter and sugar. Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until thick and well combined, about 2 minutes; the sugar may remain slightly granular. Transfer to the prepared loaf pan and, using a silicone spatula, distribute in an even layer. Place the plum slices in the caramel, overlapping them as needed to fit. Sprinkle the salt over the fruit; set aside.
Step 3
To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the cardamom, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.
Step 4
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and orange zest on medium until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the butter and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the egg mixture, then beat on medium until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients and mix, scraping the bowl once or twice, just until the mixture is evenly moistened, about 1 minute. Fold the batter by hand with the spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure no pockets of flour remain. The batter will be thick.
Step 5
Scrape the batter onto the fruit in the loaf pan, then spread in an even layer and smooth the surface. Bake until the top is deeply browned and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
Step 6
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 15 minutes; the center of the cake may sink slightly during cooling. Slide a paring knife between the short ends of the cake and the pan to loosen, then invert the cake onto a platter. Lift off the pan and peel off the parchment. Cool to room temperature.
