Vegan Plum Upside Down Cake

Total time1 hr 20 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time45 min

4.7

(16)

Ripe plums fanned out in overlapping circles, a bubbling brown sugar and cinnamon caramel, and a warmly spiced cake underneath — this is the kind of showstopper dessert that makes people ask for the recipe before they've even finished their slice. The whole thing serves 8, so it's perfectly sized for a dinner party or a weekend treat you'll be picking at all week. What makes this work so beautifully without eggs or dairy is a flax gel binder — just ground flaxseed and water, mixed and left to thicken for five minutes — combined with plant-based milk, neutral oil, and a splash of apple cider vinegar that gives the batter lift and tenderness. Vegan butter handles the caramel base just as well as the traditional kind, melting into the brown sugar to create that glossy, jammy topping that defines the whole dish. Ground ginger joins the cinnamon in the batter, adding a subtle warmth that plays off the tartness of the plums in the best possible way. The invert moment — flipping the pan onto a plate after a 15-minute rest — is genuinely satisfying, and the parchment lining means the fruit releases cleanly every time. Stone fruit season has never looked this good on a dessert table.

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the topping

4 medium ripe plums (about 1 lb), pitted and sliced ¼-inch thick
3 tbsp vegan butter, melted
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon

For the cake

1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp water
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp fine salt
¾ cup organic cane sugar
½ cup neutral oil (such as canola or sunflower oil)
¾ cup plant-based milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with a thin layer of vegan butter or neutral oil, then line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
2
Stir together the ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp water in a small bowl until combined. Set aside for 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens to a gel.

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