pretty by the bay

Summer is just around the corner. I enjoy this season much more now that I live in San Francisco – it doesn’t get too hot (or humid!) and we have access to some of the best summer produce in the U.S. From May to August, local farmer’s markets are brimming with delectable fruits and veggies grown just miles from our fair city. Those markets are open year-round, but I have to admit I’m far less excited to go in the drab winter months, when the selection is limited to boring things like squash and citrus. Instead, my blood boils for stone fruits. Plums, pluots, apricots, peaches, cherries, nectarines…I’m drooling at the mere thought of the bounty that is to come.

It’s still a bit too early to find these fruits in season at the farmer’s market, but I jumped the gun when I saw some plums at my local grocer. They looked so pretty and purple, I couldn’t resist picking them up for an early celebration of summer. Of course, they weren’t nearly as sweet or delicious as those that will be harvested in the coming weeks, but they made an excellent addition to this fruity Upside Down Cake. It never occured to me to use plums (or any stone fruit) to adorn an upside down cake; after all, pineapple is the traditional choice and is so sweet and tasty, I wouldn’t think to mess with perfection. But my recipe encouraged the use of plums or peaches in lieu of pineapple, so I gave it a whirl. Butter and brown sugar transformed those store-bought plums into something magical. They took on a jam-like consistency; sweet and gooey, with just enough firmness to remind you that they came from a ripe piece of fruit. As for the cake, it’s not as sweet as some yellow cakes, which I found to be a pleasant contrast to the sugary plum topping. Somehow, it’s both light and dense at the same time – and perfect with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. This recipe will become my summer staple – I can’t wait to try it with peaches!

Plum Upside Down Cake

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Topping
4 tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 c light brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
5 medium plums, cut into ½” thick slices

Cake
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 c plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 c milk

For the topping: Grease the bottom and sides of a 3-inch deep, 9-inch round cake pan. Melt 4 tbsp butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir occasionally until the mixture is pale and slightly foamy, about 4 minutes. Pour into the cake pan and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Arrange the plum slices evenly over the topping. Set aside.

For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 and set an oven rack to the lower-middle position. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed. Gradually add 1 c sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the egg yolks and vanilla (scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary). Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternating in 3 or 4 batches and making sure to begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until batter is just smooth

Beat the egg whites in the large bowl of an electric mixer at low speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 2 tbsp sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold ¼ of the egg whites into the cake batter with a rubber spatula. When combined, gently fold in the remaining whites until no white streaks remain. Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread over the fruit, taking care not to move the fruit in the process. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (do not let the pick touch the bottom, as the fruit will stay gooey and wet).

Rest the cake on a wire rack for exactly 2 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a large plate or platter over the top of the pan and hold it tightly, then quickly invert the cake onto the plate. Gently remove the cake pan (be careful – hot sugar/fruit juice may escape!). If any fruit sticks to the pan bottom, remove replace it on the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.