Stone Fruit & Almond Upside-Down Cake

Sinkology is proud to present Emily Schuermann, our food-loving guest blogger who runs Food for a Year. Emily is here to share some recipes she has created exclusively for the Sinkology blog that reflect her view of a copper sink: simple, timeless, affordable, and beautifully rustic. 

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Maybe it’s because harvest is slowing or maybe because the colder months are creeping closer – but I love, love, love late season produce. It’s the Fall and October fruits and veggies, in all their glory, that inspire some of the best food that comes from my kitchen.  And it’s late season stone fruit that’s the star of this upside-down cake recipe.

This Stone Fruit Upside-Down cake recipe really allows the late-season jammy plums and cherries to shine, but this recipe will work equally well with any fruit (including pineapple). For this stone fruit version, the jammy (overripe) fruits practically melt into the sticky, caramel bottom of this cake creating a really special cake.

This recipe includes 3 phases ::

• cake batter
• caramel sauce
• baking

For the cake, it’s really just a homemade cake mix style cake ::

• flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, butter, sour cream, salt, water and flavorings

The caramel sauce is really a quick-cheat (Pro-TIP double the caramel sauce so you can use extra as a topping)::

• brown sugar, butter, salt, cream and flavorings

Once the cake batter and quick caramel are made, it’s just a matter of assembling and baking.

The MOST important detail

BEFORE even thinking about assembly, be sure and butter the cake pan very, very well. There’s nothing worse than making an upside-down cake that won’t turn out of the pan, right?!

• arrange the fruit
• add the slivered almonds
• pour the quick caramel over the fruit
• spread the cake batter atop the caramel
• bake

Once the cake is set (toothpick inserted halfway into the center of the cake comes out clean or an instant-read thermometer reaches 200°), run a knife around the edges of the cake and turn it out onto a serving tray. If the pan was buttered properly, the cake should release in one impressive motion.

The juices of the stone fruit have blended with the quick caramel sauce and created a beautiful rosy-red caramel glaze. And that jammy fruit!! It’s living it’s best life in this cake, really! What seemed like it was bruised and past it’s prime has turned this cake into something really amazing. ((Underripe fruit stays dry and firm and isn’t recommended))

Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before serving (if you can wait!).

Stone Fruit  & Almond Upside-Down Cake

Cake

• 1 1/4 c AP flour
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 1/4 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 c sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 sticks butter, melted and cooled
• 1 t vanilla bean paste
• 3 T c water
• 1/2 t almond extract
• 1/3 c slivered almonds
• 1/2 lb cherries, pitted and halved
• 4-5 plums, pitted and halved

Quick Caramel*

• 1 c brown sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/3 c heavy whipping cream
• 1 t vanilla bean paste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cake ingredients (everything except the slivered almonds and fruit). Thoroughly mix all ingredients, taking care to scrape the sides and bottom. Set the cake batter aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine quick caramel ingredients (except vanilla bean paste) over medium flame. While stirring continuously, bring to a boil for 1 minute, remove from flame and add vanilla.

Heavily butter a 7″ x 10″ x  2″ cake pan. Arrange fruit in a single layer on the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with slivered almonds. Pour quick caramel sauce over the fruit and almonds then spread the cake batter over everything.

Place on a rimmed baking sheet and into preheated oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until the center is set (toothpick comes out clean or a quick-read thermometer registers 200°).

Once baking is complete, run a knife around the edges of the cake to release it from the pan. Place a serving platter atop the cake and flip over, flipping the cake out, upside-down, onto the platter. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with extra quick caramel sauce and sweetened whipped cream.

*Double the quick caramel sauce if you’d like extra as a topping.

Serves 10

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