Plum and Blackberry Upside-Down Cake
This plum and blackberry upside-down cake is a stunning dessert where sticky caramelised muscovado sugar blankets juicy plums and sharp blackberries under a light vanilla sponge. The Thermomix TM7 weighs every ingredient directly into the bowl, mixes the batter evenly and whisks the egg mixture to a fluffy consistency, making this impressive cake surprisingly simple.
About this recipe
Plum and Blackberry Upside-Down Cake Thermomix TM7 style is the kind of showstopping dessert that looks like it took hours, yet comes together easily in your all-in-one kitchen machine. Searching for upside-down cake recipes that celebrate late-summer and autumn fruit ends here: halved plums and glossy blackberries nestle into a molten muscovado caramel, and once the sponge is flipped over, the jewel-toned topping reveals itself in all its sticky glory. The TM7 makes this dessert foolproof because the butter and light muscovado sugar melt under precise temperature control, so the caramel never catches or burns. Meanwhile the vanilla sponge batter, made with egg, caster sugar, milk and plain flour, is whisked and mixed to an even, airy consistency in seconds. Serve this cake warm as a dessert with cream, or cold as an afternoon treat with tea. It is the perfect quick dessert when blackberries are abundant and you want something nostalgic yet elegant.
Preparation tips
- Choose plums that are ripe but still firm, as very soft fruit releases too much juice during baking and can make the caramel layer watery. Arrange the plum halves skin-side down with the blackberries tucked into the gaps for the prettiest finish.
- Let the cake rest in the tin for a few minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Loosen the edges gently with a palette knife first so the caramelised fruit releases cleanly and the topping stays intact.
- This cake keeps well covered at room temperature for a couple of days and the flavours deepen overnight. Gently warm individual slices before serving and add a spoonful of crème fraîche or custard for extra indulgence.
Recipe variations
- For a gluten-free version, replace the plain flour with a gluten-free self-raising blend and add a spoonful of ground almonds for moisture; the plum and blackberry topping works beautifully with the nuttier crumb.
- For a festive winter variation, swap the blackberries for frozen forest fruits and add a pinch of cinnamon and star anise to the muscovado caramel, creating a warming spiced dessert perfect for Christmas gatherings.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Weighing precision - The integrated scale of the Thermomix weighs the plain flour and caster sugar directly into the bowl, saving washing up. [Weighing]
- Caramelising control - The TM7 heats butter and light muscovado sugar evenly into a golden caramel without any burning. [Heating]
- Fluffy batter - The Thermomix whisks egg, vanilla extract and milk into a light, airy sponge base in seconds. [Whipping]
- Grating convenience - The TM7 grates cold butter evenly for the topping, giving a consistent caramel layer across the plums. [Grating]
- One-bowl mixing - The Thermomix mixes the cake batter uniformly while you arrange the blackberries in the tin. [Mixing]
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- light brown muscovado sugar
- plums
- fresh blackberries
- caster sugar
- medium egg
- vanilla extract
- plain flour
- milk
- baking powder