Best Marthas Plum Skillet Cake Recipes

FRUIT SKILLET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron), and dust with flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk; beat until combined.
• Transfer batter to the prepared skillet; smooth top. Arrange plums on top, fanning the slices; sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake until golden brown and a cake tester into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

NEXT-LEVEL PLUM UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter with brown sugar over low heat. Using a fork, mix together until smooth. Remove from heat.
• Place plum halves, cut-sides down, on a work surface; cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer each slice to skillet, forming concentric circles beginning at outer edge and ending in center, overlapping slices as you go around.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 1 stick butter with granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla; add to butter mixture. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat until just combined. Transfer batter to a wide bowl.
• In a clean mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Stir one-third of whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining whites until incorporated. Pour batter over plums, spreading with an offset spatula to cover evenly.
• Bake until top is browned and springs back when lightly pressed in center, and a tester comes out clean, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer skillet to a wire rack; let cool 20 minutes. Turn out cake onto a serving plate and let cool completely before serving.

PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-by-2-inch or a 9-inch cake pan and line bottom with a round of parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated; beat in vanilla and lemon zest. Beat in half the flour mixture, then sour cream. Add remaining flour mixture; mix just until combined.
• Spread batter into pan and smooth top with a knife. In a bowl, toss plums with 2 tablespoons flour and sprinkle over batter.
• Bake until cake is golden, about 30 minutes; loosely tent with foil and bake until cake pulls away from side of pan and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes more. Let cake cool completely in pan. Run knife around cake edge and remove cake from pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

PLUM SKILLET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Butter an 8-inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
• Whisk together 1 cup flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Combine 4 tablespoons butter and 3/4 cup sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beating batter briefly after each addition. Pour batter into the prepared skillet and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Fan plum slices on top of batter, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

PLUM SKILLET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch ovenproof skillet(preferably cast-iron); dust with flour, tapping out excess.Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat butter and 3/4 cup sugar with a mixeron medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg. Addflour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk.
• Pour batter into prepared skillet, and smooth topwith an offset spatula. Fan plums on top, and sprinkle withremaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until goldenbrown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes outclean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool slightly.

OPEN-FACE PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, the milk, oil, and egg. Fold into flour mixture.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, and smooth tops. Arrange plums, cut sides up, over batter.
• Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar, and sprinkle over plums. Dot with butter. Bake until tops are dark golden, plums are soft, and a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool. (Cakes are best the day you make them; leftover cake is great for breakfast the next day.)

PLUM UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir 6 tablespoons butter, brown sugar and honey in heavy medium skillet over low heat until butter melts and sugar and honey blend in, forming thick, smooth sauce. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Arrange plums in overlapping concentric circles atop sauce.
• Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter in large bowl until light. Add sugar and beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in extracts. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, mixing just until blended. Spoon batter evenly over plums. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool in pan 30 minutes.
• Using knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter atop cake pan. Invert cake; place platter on work surface. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently lift off pan. Serve cake warm with whipped cream.