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plum, fig and honey upside down pudding

7 October 2018 by Dominic Franks

upside down plum cake

It’s been a couple of weeks now and i’ve started my treatment for the vasculitis.  This involves taking some heavy medication that takes about 4 hours to drip slowly into my veins.  It’s boring and makes me feel sick but it also makes me better so i’m not complaining.  I’ve got 5 more weeks of quite intensive treatment along with some nasty procedures i’m not particularly looking forward to but i’m hoping that by Christmas I will be as good as gold and ready to get my life back on track.  I know I shouldn’t be but i’m actually really looking forward to the next few months… Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas.  My three favourite festivals, mainly because of all the wonderful food and treats but it also means a natural slowing down, a gathering of thoughts and time to spend with friends and family… just what my soul needs for a healthy recovery.

upside down plum cake

upside down plum cake

plum, fig and honey upside down pudding

This is one of those incredible pudding-cake hybrids that I adore and I think are simply incredible, particularly at this time of year… full of unctuous, big flavours yet truly celebrate the simplicity of the last of the tree fruits.  When it comes to the UK plum season I tend to stalk the supermarkets for the large trays of Victoria plums and then buy as many as my conscience will allow.  These British gems are to me the only plums all year that actually taste like proper plums. I’ve actually been nursing a final box of them in the fridge for a while and they really needed either jamming or baking so I decided to go all rustic and opt for this pudding. The figs were sitting next to them in the supermarket and whilst they looked beautiful they didn’t taste of anything which was so disappointing, so in to the dish they went where I know that the addition of butter, honey and vanilla will bring out their sunshine.

You don’t have to turn this one upside down.  It takes patience and determination, particularly if you’re an idiot like me and decide to bake it in earthenware rather than a cake tin but actually once it had cooled slightly I left it turned upside down and it came out very well.

  • roughly 8 plums – halved and stoned
  • roughy 4 figs – quartered
  • butter – roughly 30g
  • honey – roughly 2 tablespoons
  • 200g slightly salted butter
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 125g plain flour
  • 75g ground almonds
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 large free-range eggs – lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • the grated zest of 1 lemon

i’ve used a large fluted earthenware pudding / pie dish, roughly 23cm wide but a cake tin would work – grease well and line the bottom with parchment – this is essential.  pre-heat your oven to 170C fan

melt a generous nob of butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and place the plums and figs into the butter, drizzle with the honey and let them bubble away for about 7-8 mins, then turn the heat off and let them sit in the pan whilst you make the cake batter

mix the flour, ground almonds and baking powder together and set aside

beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl… a wooden spoon and plenty of elbow grease will work but a stand-mixer with a paddle will make your life more carefree… once light and fluffy, add half the flour mix and half the beaten eggs and beat in until incorporated, then add the vanilla and grated lemon followed by the remaining flour and eggs and beat for 2 minutes until you have a smooth batter

lay the plums and gigs, cut-side-down, into the bottom of you dish or cake tin and then carefully pour the batter over the top and smooth over

bake for 35 mins on 170C fan, then place on a wire rack until beginning to cool at which point, place a large plate on top and turn upside down, then set aside until completely cool.  The cake should slip easily out of the dish but if it looks tricky or doesn’t want to budget just serve it like a pudding and to hell with it!

upside down plum cake

upside down plum cake

eat and of course, enjoy!

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Filed Under: Cakes Tagged With: baking, cake, figs, honey, plums, upside-down cake

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Comments

  1. Jean says

    8 October 2018 at 10:25 pm

    I love upside down cakes and this one looks fabulous, definitely has the potential to heal body and soul. My OH had a huge Victoria plum tree at his old house that produced mountains of fruit every year – and how I miss it. Those oversized tasteless specimens that pass for plums that we can buy well out of season are so disappointing in comparison.
    Take care, Dom, look after yourself and get better soon. xx

    • Dominic Franks says

      11 October 2018 at 7:27 am

      Thanks Jean, wow, I wish I had a plum tree… maybe that’s what i’ll plant out next year!

  2. Phil in the Kitchen says

    10 October 2018 at 10:59 pm

    Absolutely lovely and just perfect for the start of autumn. I head for the local PYO in plum season and it’s always a joy to pick Victoria plums from the tree. On fine weather days the PYO fields can be swarming with people but there’s often only one or two of us venturing into the plum trees. I can’t understand why more people don’t love this wonderful fruit.
    I’m really hoping that you receive the perfect Christmas present of feeling you’ve got your life back again and maybe even better than ever.

    • Dominic Franks says

      11 October 2018 at 7:28 am

      ThanksPhil, it was such a simple little cake but perfect marker to the new season.

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About Dom In The Kitchen

My name is Dominic, I am a cook, food writer and creative event producer. I write the food blog Dom In The Kitchen and also write a monthly recipe column for Lincolnshire Life Magazine and Good Taste Magazine. I also run creative event production company The Persuaders, producing global events for brands since 1997. I am based both in the small village of Belleau in Lincolnshire and the smaller village of London! Read More…

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