Upside Down Chai Apple and Plum Cake

Here’s the first of my Diwali desserts I’m sharing! This upside-down apple and plum cake with chai caramel is perfect to serve with a cup of chai! It’s not too sweet, the cake is super fluffy and it’s eggless! I love how the plums and apples look almost like stained glass after it’s baked! I alternated the apple and plum slices and it kind of gave me rangoli vibes.

The base of this recipe is a chai caramel that’s poured into the bottom of a parchment-lined baking pan. When you’re making the caramel, be sure to not stir it too much, otherwise, it’ll crystalize. Also make it in a large saucepan because once you add in the butter, the caramel will foam up quite a bit. Be sure to not walk away from the caramel when making it because once it starts caramelizing and changing colors, it moves quick and can burn super fast! 

For the fruit, I peeled and sliced the apple in half. Then I used a mandolin to slice the apple and plum into 1/8th inch thick slices. You can make them thicker to 1/4 inch but I love how the thin sliced get almost see-through! For the plum, I kept the skin on and just pitted it and then sliced it. Make sure to overlap each slice quite a bit so that you have a nice shingled effect when you flip your upside-down cake! 

Despite the caramel, this upside down cake is not too sweet, so it works really well with tea or coffee. I also like to add a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top before serving. You can serve the upside down cake warm or room temperate. 

Upside Down Chai Apple and Plum Cake

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• Author: Milk and Cardamom
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 9 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

A delicious apple and plum upside down cake with chai caramel. Fluffy and perfect for a brunch! Makes one 9 inch cake

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

CHAI CARAMEL

• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 3 1/2 tbsp (50 g) unsalted butter
• 1 tsp chai masala
• pinch of salt
• 2 apples
• 2 plums

CAKE

• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup (85 g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (85 g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (110 g) sour cream
• 1/2 cup (110 g) vegan mayonnaise ( or 2 eggs)
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups (187 g) all purpose flour

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or grease with softened butter. Be liberal so that the cake and caramel don’t get the cake stuck to the pan! Set aside.
2. Add sugar and water to the bottom of a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Gently stir the sugar until all the sugar has moistened and bring it to a boil. Keep an eye on the caramel as it can burn quickly! Once the caramel is a light amber color, add butter and stir until melted. Add chai masala and salt and stir well.
3. Pour the caramel into the prepared 9-inch pan and tilt the pan around so that the bottom of the entire pan is covered in the caramel. The caramel may harden- this is ok!
4. Prep the apples and plums next. Peel the apples and slice the apple in half. Thinly slice each half into 1/8th inch thick slices. I used a mandolin for this to make it easier and faster. Pit your plum and slice that as well into 1/8th inch thick slices.
5. Layer the fruit slices over the caramel layer, alternating between plum and apple slices, until the whole bottom of the pan is covered. Set aside.
6. To make the cake, add unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl for a stand mixer. Mix on high for 3 minutes, the butter should be light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add in sour cream, vegan mayonnaise, whole milk, and vanilla and mix for 2 minutes on high speed. Scrape the bowl down and add in the flour and mix on low speed until all the flour is incorporated. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds and then
7. Spoon the batter into the cake pan with the caramel and layered apples and plums. Be gentle so the apple and plum slices don’t move around too much.  Use a spatula to spread the batter into an even layer and tap the pan on your table 3-4 times to get rid of any air bubbles.
8. Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 1-2 hours.
9. Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Place your serving plate on top and carefully flip the pan and plate. Give it a few gentle taps if needed to get the cake to fall out onto your serving plate. Remove the parchment paper and serve! I like to serve mine with homemade whipped cream! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.

• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 60 mins
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: Indian, Fusion

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