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Moist upside-down cake studded with plum and a touch of matcha powder for flavor. It is perfect for breakfast or as a snacking cake.
Yup, I have loads of plums and nectarines that I need to use up and as a result, I made this plum upside-down cake. I love making upside-down cakes. A topping baked at the bottom and flipped over before serving. It just makes me feel all giddy when I invert the cake to reveal how the cake looks like. Pineapple upside-down cake is one of the most popular types of upside-down cake, but I love it with plums and some matcha powder won’t hurt either (I’m a matcha person, but you can omit it if you don’t like it).
Why you’ll like this cake
1. Easy
You just need a mixing bowl, whisk, and spatula to prepare the cake batter. No machine requires
2. Visually attractive
The excitement when you flip the cake over to reveal the
3. The cake is not too sweet and stays moist for days
Matcha Plum Upside-down Cake
Ingredients
For the plums:
- 454 g plums ripe but not mushy
- 56 g unsalted butter softened
- 80 g granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the cake batter:
- 80 g oil
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g eggs room temperature
- 118 g Whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- 195 g all-purpose flour
- 8 g matcha powder ceremonial grade if possible
Instructions
- Take the eggs and Greek yogurt out from the fridge to let them come to a room temperature while you are preparing other things
- If you forget to take the eggs out early, place the eggs in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for about 10-15 minutes. This method gently warms the eggs without cooking them.
- Do the same with the yogurt. Scoop out the amount you need into a bowl and warm the bowl over another bowl of hot water
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) conventional oven, 330 F (165 C) for convection oven
Prepare the plum topping:
- Use a 9 x 2 round cake pan. Make sure it is at least 2 inches in height. Grease just the side of the pan so you can easily release the cake later
- Rub the softened butter all over the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle evenly with sugar. This mixture will caramelize as the cake bakes
- You want to use plums that are ripe but still firm. Insert a knife into the plums, touching the stone the whole time and move the knife all around. Twist the plum in an opposite direction. Remove the stone with the knife. Slice the plums into 1/4 inch slices
- Arrange the plum slices decoratively, slightly overlapping if you like, starting from the edge and working your way toward the center
Prepare the cake batter:
- Whisk oil and sugar vigorously for about 30-40 seconds.
- Add room-temperature eggs and whisk again and you will see the mixture emulsifies.
- Add the Greek yogurt, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk again to combine
- Sift in all-purpose flour and matcha powder. Use a spatula to fold the dry mixture into the wet. Do not overmix. As long as you don't see any pockets of flour, you are done mixing. It is a lumpy batter and that's ok
- Scrape the cake batter into the pan, covering the plum slices. Use a spatula to smooth the top
Bake the cake:
- Bake the cake on the middle rack for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean with a bit of moist crumbs is okay. The surface of the cake shouldn't be wet anymore and when you gently press on it, it bounces back
Invert the cake:
- Remove from the oven and let it sit for 5 minutes
- Take a large round serving platter and place on top of the pan and quickly and carefully invert the cake onto the platter. Then gently remove the pan. Some plums may get stuck to the pan. Just remove it and put them back on top of the cake. Any extra caramel on the pan, you can pour it on the surface of the cake
Cool down:
- Let the cake cool down for at least 30 minutes or to a room temperature before slicing it. They are the best served on the same day but they also stay moist when you keep them at room temperature in an air-tight container for 2-3 days
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Plums
Use ripe plums but not mushy. They need to be firm. You can also use other fruits like peaches, nectarines, bananas, and of course pineapple rings
2. Butter
I use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, you may need to adjust the salt amount or omit it
3. All-purpose flour
All-purpose flour has a medium-gluten content. I usually use unbleached all-purpose flour
4. Matcha powder
I use ceremonial matcha powder. It preserves the green color and the flavor is stronger
5. Oil
I use flavorless oil like avocado oil. Use what you like
6. Sugar
I use granulated sugar, but you can also use caster sugar
7. Whole-milk Greek yogurt
I recommend whole-milk Greek yogurt over the low-fat or fat-free version. You can also substitute with full-fat sour cream. Do not substitute with whole-milk regular yogurt because the texture is much thinner compared to Greek yogurt
8. Eggs
Use room-temperature eggs
9. Baking powder and baking soda
These two leavening agents are needed in this recipe. Do not substitute one for the other. You need both of them
10. Salt
I use fine sea salt
Why do I need to use room-temperature eggs and Greek yogurt?
I know it’s a bit of a hassle sometimes because you may not remember to get them out from the fridge soon enough, but using room-temperature eggs and Greek yogurt in baking is often recommended because they blend more easily into batters and doughs, contributing to a more even texture and better overall results. Room-temperature eggs help to incorporate more air into the batter. This trapped air expands during baking, giving the final product a lighter, fluffier texture.
How to store upside-down cake
1. For short-term storage: If you plan to eat the cake within a day or two, you can store it at room temperature. Cover the cake with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight container to keep it from drying out. Ensure it’s kept in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
2. For long-term storage: If you need to store the cake for a longer period, freezing is the best option. I don’t like to store cake in the fridge because it tends to dry out the cake. Let the cake cool completely after baking. Then wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn and place them in a freezer bag, push all the air out and seal the bag. Label the bag with the date so you can keep track of how long it’s been stored. It can be kept frozen for about one month. When ready to serve, simply thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving or thaw overnight in the fridge
