Plum Upside Down Cake (Vegan + GF)

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Hold onto your hats! This recipe takes the cake and (literally) flips it on its head. Juicy, tart plums nestle into soft, fluffy, perfectly sweet almond cake. You won’t want to miss out on this plum upside down cake — it’s THE summer cake you’ve been waiting for! 

Bonus? It’s vegan, gluten-free, and you’ll need just 10 ingredients. Let’s bake, friends!

This cake begins with the upside down plums! We arrange sliced plums (apricots work, too!) in a circular pattern at the bottom of a pie pan. Generously greasing the pan with vegan butter helps prevent the plums from sticking and cane sugar creates a caramelized sauciness.

Next, we make the cake batter. Cane sugar, vegan butter, almond milk, and applesauce are the wet ingredients, with optional almond extract giving it a pronounced almond flavor! If you love almond extract, be sure to check out our Gluten-Free Orange Almond Loaf Cake and Maple Almond Buckwheat Granola, too.

For the dry ingredients, a combination of gluten-free flours (almond, potato, and brown rice) gives it a light, cakey texture and beautiful crumb. The remaining cake essentials include baking powder for rise and salt for flavor.

After spreading the batter over the plums and baking, the fruit becomes bubbly and tender.

It’s then time to flip that cake on its head, slice, and enjoy!

We’re SO excited for you to try this plum cake! It’s:

Soft
Fluffy
Almondy
Fruit-studded
Perfectly sweet
& SO delicious!

It would be a beautiful brunch centerpiece or summer dessert for hosting! Enjoy it on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or coconut yogurt.

If you try this Plum Upside Down Cake, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo  on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Plum Upside Down Cake (Vegan + GF)

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!

Prep Time:

40 minutes minutes

Cook Time:

40 minutes minutes

Total Time:

1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings:

10 (Slices)

Course:

Dessert

Cuisine:

Gluten-Free, Vegan

Freezer Friendly:

No

Does it keep? 1-2 Days

Ingredients

Ingredients

1. 2-4 ripe plums or apricots*, pitted and thinly sliced into 1/4-1/2-inch slices (enough to cover the bottom of the pie pan)
2. 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (plus more for dusting pan)
3. 1/4 cup softened vegan butter (plus more for greasing // we like Miyoko’s)
4. 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
5. 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
6. 1 ½ cups almond flour (we like Wellbee’s)
7. 1/2 cup dairy-free milk (plain, unsweetened // we used almond milk)
8. 1/2 cup potato starch
9. 1/4 cup brown rice flour
10. 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
11. 1/2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

Cooking method

1. 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.
2. Place the sliced plums in the sugar, arranging them in a circular pattern (see photo). Try to fill any large spaces with fruit.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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!
8. Best when fresh. Store leftover cake at room temperature lightly covered for up to 2 days.

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.

Nutrition (1 of 10 servings)

Serving: 1servingCalories: 229Carbohydrates: 27.4gProtein: 4.1gFat: 12.8gSaturated Fat: 3.9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5.5gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 215mgPotassium: 112mgFiber: 2.5gSugar: 14.4g<Vitamin A: 19IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 0.8mg

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes