Easy plum upside down cake with juicy, tart plums nestled into soft, fluffy, perfectly sweet almond cake. Vegan, gluten-free, and perfect for brunch or dessert. Just 10 ingredients required!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and grease a 9-inch pie pan generously with vegan butter. Dust the bottom of the pan with 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Place the sliced plums in the sugar, arranging them in a circular pattern (see photo). Try to fill any large spaces with fruit.
In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar and softened vegan butter for about 30 seconds on high. Next, add applesauce and almond extract (optional). Beat again on high speed until light, fluffy, and pale in color — about 30 seconds.
Add the almond flour and beat again until the mixture looks like cookie dough. Add the dairy-free milk and mix on medium-low speed until fully incorporated. Then add potato starch, brown rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium speed until all of the flour is fully incorporated.
Pour the cake batter on top of the halved plums, smoothing the top and (gently!) ensuring each plum is covered with batter. Note that the batter will spread and the cake will rise as it bakes.
Bake the cake on the middle rack of your oven for 40-50 minutes until the top is golden brown, the plums are bubbling, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool for 20 minutes.
When ready to flip the cake out of its pan, use whatever cake plate you plan to serve it on. Place the cake plate bottom side up on top of the pie pan. Carefully and confidently flip the cake onto the plate. Gently remove the pie plate, replacing any plum that gets left behind back into the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake pairs well with dairy-free yogurt for a morning tea or brunch cake or with vanilla ice cream for dessert!
Best when fresh. Store leftover cake at room temperature lightly covered for up to 2 days.
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Notes
*Plums are our preferred fruit in this recipe, but apricots are also delicious. We don’t recommend peaches because they’re too sweet. *Prep time includes letting the cake cool for 20 minutes. *Inspired by Ina Gartin’s Plum Cake Tatin. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.