Plum Upside-Down Cake

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily butter a 10-inch pie pan.

2. Step 2

   Arrange the plums cut side down in the pie pan. A few of them, quartered, can be used to fill any gaps.

3. Step 3

   Mix a cup of the sugar with the water in a shallow saucepan or a skillet, preferably nonstick. Cook without stirring over medium-high heat until the sugar starts to turn amber around the edges. Gently swirl the pan so the sugar cooks evenly and continue cooking until the mixture is uniformly amber colored. Immediately pour this caramel over the plums in the pan. Scatter the walnuts over the caramel.

4. Step 4

   Cream the remaining butter and the remaining sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix the flour, cinnamon and baking powder together and fold it into the batter. Add the vanilla. Spread the batter over the plums.

5. Step 5

   Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes, until the cake is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least an hour before unmolding. As the cake is best if it has not been refrigerated, it can be left in the pan until shortly before serving time.

6. Step 6

   Unmold the cake onto a serving dish. If any of the fruit clings to the pan, lift it off and place it back on the cake.

7. Step 7

   Serve cake with ice cream or whipped cream.