Blood plum spice cake

A friend of mine had a birthday recently and I wanted to make her a cake. Unlike 99% of the population, she's not a fan of icing (too sweet). While I've nothing against plain cakes (in fact I think I prefer them), for a celebration I think you need something a little bit special. An upside-down cake was the perfect solution. This one showcases plums, in season at the moment. The recipe comes from one of my favourite places in all the world, The Agrarian Kitchen, in Tasmania, so I knew it would be good. And indeed it was - the warm spices of the base the perfect complement to the tart, juicy fruit, which - once inverted - crowns the cake. A cracker.

Blood plum spice cake

Adapted from a recipe in The Agrarian Kitchen by Rodney Dunn

I was all out of ground ginger so used fresh (as you might be able to tell from the filament in the photo above), which worked just as well. 

2 tablespoons raw sugar

400g blood plums (halved, stones removed)

225g soft unsalted butter

270g (3/4 cup) golden syrup

3 eggs

225g (1 1/2 cups) plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Grease and line a 20cm baking tin (just paper on the base is fine, then dust the sides with flour).

Sprinkle sugar over the base of tin, then lay plum halves flat-side down in a single layer, nestled as close together as you can.

Cream the golden syrup and butter til pale. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Sift in the flour, baking powder and spices and fold in carefully. Spoon batter over plums.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly in tin then turn out onto wire rack. 

Cake will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.