Recipe: Summer Plum Upside-Down Cake

SUMMER PLUM UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
6 large plums, halved, pitted, each half cut into 6 wedges
FOR THE CAKE BATTER:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup whole milk
Lightly sweetened whipped cream (for serving)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Stir 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and honey in heavy medium skillet over low heat until butter melts and sugar and honey are incorporated, forming a thick, smooth sauce. Pour into a 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Arrange plums in overlapping concentric circles atop sauce.

TO PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER:
Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat 6 tablespoons butter in large bowl until light. Add 1 cup sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions; mix just until batter is blended. Spoon batter evenly over plums.

Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 5 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool in pan 30 minutes.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter atop cake pan. Invert cake; place platter on work surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift off pan. Serve cake warm with whipped cream.

Source: The Bon Appetit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild