Today’s Market Shopper is Amy Jurist, a renowned chef and caterer. (And a friend!) She’s making great use of the summer’s bounty of stone fruit, and is offering up her recipe for plum-almond cake. Doesn’t it look delicious? It is. Trust me, I had some.

The plums she likes to use are the kind with red flesh, not the yellow. Yet they are deceptively similar from the outside, as you can see, so be sure to ask the vendor.Amy caters all kind of events, works as a personal chef, and also does these cool underground dinners about one every month — the next one has an Italian theme and will take place on July 11th. There are still a few spots left and you can get info about all of her services here at her website, Amy’s Culinary Adventures.

Amy’s Caramelized Plum Almond Upside Down Cake

Makes one 10 ½ -inch cake  Serves 8

For the topping:

6          tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4       cup packed light-brown sugar

5          ripe red hearted plums, such as flavorosa

1          tablespoon of light corn syrup

 For the batter:

1 1/2    cups all-purpose flour

2          teaspoons baking powder

1/4       teaspoon salt

8          tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1          cup granulated sugar

2          teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2    teaspoons almond extract

2          large eggs, separated

1/2       cup whole milk

1/4       teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Make the topping: Melt butter in the bottom of a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron(or other heavy ovenproof) skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add corn syrup and stir to form a nice syrup. Swirl to coat the bottom; remove from heat, and cool slightly. Cut plums into 1/4-inch-thick wedges, and arrange them in a circular pattern over the brown-sugar mixture to cover completely; set aside.

2. Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts; beat to combine. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine.

4. Alternating with the milk, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix, on low speed, just until the flour is incorporated.

5. In a large bowl, beat reserved egg whites and the cream of tartar with a hand mixer until stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the batter. Transfer to skillet. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly, being careful not to disturb the plums.

6. Bake until well browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan, and immediately invert the cake onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 Note: This recipe also works very well with pears and apples!

Recipe Developed by Chef Amy Jurist

An original post by Sarah Auerswald. Photos by me and by Amy Jurist.