Pluot Upside-down Cake

Pluot- love child of an apricot and a plum. After tasting one, I would say it tastes more like a plum than an apricot. But either way, it juicy, sweet, tart and tastes like summer.

No pluots at your market? Use another kind of stone fruit like plums or peaches. Last summer at my Albie's in Rancho, they had mango nectarines and I know those would make a whiz-bang of an upside-down cake.



3 pluots, pitted and sliced into wedges
6 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
Whipped cream, for serving

Set oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch springform pan with non-stick spray and set on a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Stir until melted. Pour into the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Carefully arrange pluot wedges in the butter mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a measuring cup, combine buttermilk and vanilla. Set both aside.

In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until combined. Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter egg mixture, then add a third of the buttermilk vanilla mixture. Repeat, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping well after each addition.

Gently pour batter over the pluots. Spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool for 1 hour. Invert onto a serving plate. Carefully remove springform's outer ring and bottom pan. Serve with whipped cream.

Served with this: This was dessert to a prime summer meal. Grilled pork chops, steamed garden veggies and green salad.