Plum, caramel and walnut upside down cake

Fruity, tart plums engulfed in a rich, golden, sticky caramel, sitting atop a sponge fragrant with brown butter and brown sugar, and nutty with the subtle crunch of walnuts.

Delicious served both warm and cold, but the former is my favourite–with a generous drizzle of cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Serves 8-10

For the plums and caramel
plums 9x small or 6x large
butter 50g
light brown sugar 115g
double cream 55ml
sea salt a pinch

For the sponge
butter 180g to make 145g brown butter
vanilla extract 1 tsp
eggs 2, medium-sized
light brown sugar 140g
plain flour 140g
ground almonds 25g
baking powder 1/2 tsp
baking soda 1/4 tsp
sea salt a pinch
milk 80ml
walnuts 70g, roughly chopped


Preheat the oven to 170C fan. Grease and line an 8” cake tin and set aside.

To prepare the plums
Prepare the plums by cutting them into quarters and removing the stone, then cut thin slices no bigger than 2-3mm wide. Arrange the plum slices in a circular pattern into the bottom of the prepared cake tin, starting at the outer edge and working your way into the middle, overlapping the plums slightly as you go.
plums 9x small or 6x large

To make the caramel
To a medium-sized pot, add the butter and light brown sugar and set over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and sugar to dissolve, whisking often, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour in the double cream while whisking, add the salt and then return to the heat to cook for a further minute. In a thin and steady stream, carefully pour the caramel over the plums, taking care not to disrupt the pattern you’ve created. Set aside while you prepare the sponge.
butter 50g, light brown sugar 115g, double cream 55ml, sea salt a pinch

To make the sponge
Add the butter to a pot and set over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt, simmer and foam, stirring often. Once the butter has turned a rich golden brown and smells nutty and fragrant, remove from the heat, add the vanilla extract then allow to cool for a few minutes.
butter 180g to make 145g brown butter, vanilla extract 1 tsp

To the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl is using an electric or manual whisk), add the eggs and light brown sugar and whisk on high speed until slightly lighter in colour and thicker, 4-5 minutes.
eggs 2, medium-sized, light brown sugar 140g

To a large mixing bowl, add the plain flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk together until well combined.
plain flour 140g, ground almonds 25g, baking powder 1/2 tsp, baking soda 1/4 tsp, sea salt a pinch

Add the flour mixture to the eggs/sugar mixture and gently fold through until fully combined. Add the milk and chopped walnuts and fold in until fully combined, then carefully pour the mixture over the plums and caramel. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a deep golden brown and risen, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
milk 80ml, walnuts 70g, roughly chopped

Allow the cake to cool in the cake tin for 5-10 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife around the edge of the cake to help release any caramel which may prevent the cake from coming out of the tin. Using oven mitts, carefully upturn the cake out of the tin and onto a serving plate if serving warm, or onto a cooling rack if serving cold.

The cake keeps well for 3-4 days, covered and stored in the fridge. Allow to sit at room temperature for 45 minutes before serving.