Quebec Plum & Thyme Upside-Down Cake

Taste

Verger Rustik brings three plum varieties to the market at the end of August, and any of them work here — Mont-Royal blue, Toka red, or yellow Mirabelle if you want something more floral. The halves go cut-side down into a butter-and-honey caramel and cook into the base of the cake, so when you turn it out they’ve collapsed slightly and gone jammy at the edges. Almond flour in the batter keeps the crumb soft and slightly damp, which is what you want under all that fruit, and the thyme is there for savoury depth rather than to taste herbal.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven and prepare the tin. Heat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Line the base of a 23 cm (9 inch) round cake tin with parchment and butter the sides. Use a solid tin, not a springform — the caramel will leak out of a loose base.

2. Make the caramel base. Melt the 50 g of butter in a small pan over medium heat, then stir in the brown sugar and honey. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until it’s smooth and bubbling at the edges. Take it off the heat, strip the leaves from two of the thyme sprigs and stir them in, then pour it into the prepared tin and tilt to cover the base evenly. ⏱︎ 3 min

3. Arrange the plums. Lay the plum halves cut-side down in the caramel in concentric circles, packing them close — they shrink as they bake, so tight is better than tidy. Tuck the two remaining thyme sprigs whole between the fruit.

4. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened 120 g of butter with the granulated sugar for 4 minutes, until pale and noticeably lighter in volume. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then the vanilla. If the mixture looks split after the eggs, add a spoonful of the flour and it will come back together. ⏱︎ 4 min

5. Fold in the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, and thyme leaves together in a separate bowl. Add half to the butter mixture and fold gently, then fold in the sour cream, then the remaining dry ingredients. Stop as soon as no flour streaks remain — overworking makes it tough.

6. Bake. Spoon the batter over the plums and spread it level, taking care not to shift the fruit. Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden, springs back when pressed, and a skewer into the centre comes out with only a crumb or two. If it’s browning fast at 30 minutes, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top. ⏱︎ 45 min

7. Turn it out. Let the cake stand in the tin for 10 minutes — long enough to settle, not long enough for the caramel to set and glue itself down. Run a knife around the edge, put a serving plate over the tin, and invert in one confident movement. Lift the tin away, peel off the parchment, and spoon any caramel left behind back over the fruit. Discard the whole thyme sprigs. Serve warm. ⏱︎ 10 min

Tips

• Plum choice: Firm-ripe is what you want. Very soft plums flood the caramel and the base goes wet — if yours are ripe, cook the caramel an extra minute to thicken it.
• Other stone fruit: Peaches, nectarines, or apricots all work. Peel peaches first and allow 5 minutes more in the oven, as they carry more water.
• Herb swap: Rosemary is stronger but good if you use half the quantity. Lemon zest instead of thyme gives a brighter, more conventional cake.
• Make ahead: Best on the day, but it keeps for 3 days under a dome at room temperature. Warm slices for 20 seconds in the microwave to loosen the caramel again.
• To serve: Crème fraîche or lightly whipped cream is enough. A spoonful of the sour cream from the batter, slackened with a little honey, also works.