CakesAmericanMedium

Skillet Plum and Brown Butter Upside-Down Cake

Name: Skillet Plum and Brown Butter Upside-Down Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1-tablespoon pieces; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 6 medium ripe plums, halved, pitted, skin left intact; ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract; 1¾ cups (220 g) all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons (7½ g) baking powder; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt; ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A buttery, tender cake topped with caramelized plums in a crispy brown-butter-and-sugar coating. The brown butter adds a deep, toasty flavor that pairs beautifully with the tart-sweet plums. Baked in a cast-iron skillet and inverted onto a serving plate for an impressive presentation.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Wait: 15 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 1 cake (8 slices)

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
Have all ingredients at room temperature
Choose ripe but firm plums that won't fall apart when cooked
Use a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet or ovenproof baking dish

1
Brown the topping butter
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons (85 g) of cold butter, stirring frequently.
- Once melted, continue cooking for 5–7 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter turns golden brown with a nutty aroma and brown flecks settle at the bottom.
- Watch carefully to prevent burning.
- Pour the brown butter into your cast-iron skillet, tilting to coat the bottom and sides evenly.
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Ready when: Butter is golden brown with a nutty aroma; brown solids are visible at the bottom
Tip: Keep the heat at medium and watch constantly to avoid burning—burnt butter tastes acrid and will ruin the dish.
2
Arrange plums and sugar
- Sprinkle the 0.75 cup (150 g) of granulated sugar evenly over the brown butter in the skillet.
- Arrange the 6 halved plums, cut-side down, in a circular pattern in the skillet, pressing them gently into the sugar.
- The plums will caramelize as the cake bakes.
- Set the skillet aside while you prepare the cake batter.
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Ready when: Plums are arranged cut-side down in an even layer
Tip: Press the plums gently but firmly so they sit flat and make good contact with the sugar for caramelization.
3
Cream butter and sugar
- In a large bowl, beat 0.5 cup (115 g) of softened butter and 1 cup (200 g) of granulated sugar together with a whisk or electric mixer for 2–3 minutes until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale yellow.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
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Ready when: Mixture is pale, fluffy, and increased in volume by about 50%
Tip: Using softened butter (not cold or melted) ensures you can incorporate air for a lighter crumb.
4
Add eggs and vanilla
- Add the 2 room-temperature eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape down the bowl.
- Add the 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract and beat to combine.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, pale, and fully incorporated
Tip: Add eggs one at a time to emulsify properly; if you add them all at once, the batter may look curdled briefly.
5
Combine dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.75 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour, 1.5 teaspoons (7.5 g) baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt until well combined and no lumps of baking powder remain.
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Ready when: Dry ingredients are evenly combined with no visible lumps
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients helps distribute the leavening agent evenly throughout the batter.
6
Alternate dry and wet ingredients
- Add one-third of the dry flour mixture to the egg-butter mixture and fold together gently with a spatula until almost no flour streaks remain.
- Add half of the 0.5 cup (120 ml) buttermilk and fold until combined.
- Repeat: add the remaining flour in two batches, alternating with the remaining buttermilk, folding gently after each addition until the batter is smooth and no flour streaks are visible.
- Do not overmix.
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Ready when: Batter is smooth with no flour streaks; slightly thicker than pancake batter
Tip: Fold gently rather than stir to avoid developing too much gluten, which would make the cake tough. A few tiny streaks of flour are okay.
7
Pour batter over plums
- Pour the batter over the plums and caramelized sugar in the skillet, spreading it gently and evenly with a spatula.
- The plums should be mostly covered.
- The batter will rise around and over the plums as it bakes.
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Ready when: Batter is spread evenly; plums are mostly covered
Tip: Don't spread the batter too vigorously or you'll move the plums out of position.
8
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the skillet in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven on the middle rack.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- The edges should pull slightly away from the sides of the skillet.
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Ready when: Top is golden brown; toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs
Tip: Start checking at 40 minutes; ovens vary. If the top is browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
9
Cool and invert
- Remove the skillet from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Run a thin spatula or knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the sides.
- Place a serving plate (large enough to overhang the skillet slightly) over the top of the skillet.
- Carefully invert the skillet and plate together in one quick, confident motion, then slowly lift away the skillet.
- If any plums stick to the pan, gently coax them onto the cake using a small spatula.
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Ready when: Cake is released from the pan; plums are adhered to the top
Tip: Don't wait too long to invert or the caramel will harden and the cake will stick; 5 minutes is the sweet spot. Be confident with the inversion—hesitation can cause the cake to break.
10
Cool and serve
- Allow the cake to cool on the serving plate for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
- The caramel will continue to set.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired.
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Ready when: Cake is set and cool enough to slice without breaking apart
Tip: This cake is best served the day it is made, while the caramel is still sticky and the cake is moist.

Good to know

Tips

Choose plums that are ripe but still fairly firm—overripe plums will fall apart during baking. A plum should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not be mushy.
Browning butter requires attention to avoid burning. Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly once the foaming slows down. The transition from golden brown to burnt happens quickly.
Room-temperature eggs emulsify better with the butter-sugar mixture, resulting in a more tender cake. Remove eggs from the fridge 30 minutes ahead.
The alternating method (dry-wet-dry-wet) helps keep the batter uniform and prevents overdevelopment of gluten. Fold gently and don't overmix; a few small flour streaks are fine.

Make ahead

The dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) can be whisked together and stored in an airtight container up to 1 day ahead. The brown butter can be made up to 4 hours ahead, cooled to room temperature, and reheated gently over low heat just before assembling. The cake itself is best baked the day you plan to serve it.

Storage & reheating

Store the cooled cake covered loosely with foil at room temperature for up to 1 day. Do not refrigerate, as the cake will dry out. For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw at room temperature for 2 hours before serving. Reheat gently in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 10 minutes if desired, but the cake is delicious at room temperature.

Substitutions

ripe plums → Peaches, nectarines, or apricots. Use firm fruit of similar size; peaches and nectarines may need 1–2 minutes less browning to avoid over-softening.
buttermilk → Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream thinned with 1–2 tablespoons whole milk. Provides similar tang and acidity; thin to a pourable consistency (about 0.5 cup / 120 ml total).
unsalted butter → Coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil. Use the same amount by weight. The flavor will be slightly different, but the cake will still be tender and moist.
unsalted butter → Clarified butter or ghee. Brown ghee adds an even richer, more nutty flavor. Use the same amount; ghee brown-butter mixture may be less frothy.