I'm excited to share this super moist plum "upside down" yogurt cake recipe. It's one of my favorite cake in the world! This cake is perfect for afternoon tea, snack time or as a light dessert after a heavy meal. The texture reminds me of a cheesecake and the fruits are infused with a slight touch of ginger. This recipe includes yogurt (note that you can use dairy-free yogurt if you're intolerant or allergic) and eggs but is completely gluten-free since the base ingredients for this cake are almond meal and a small amount of gluten-free flour. I like to use amaranth flour in this cake because this Aztec "pseudo-cereal" is a little powerhouse : it's naturally gluten-free, a good source of high quality protein, magnesium, iron, fiber and calcium. Amaranth flour has a nutty taste that can be strong and bitter, but mixed with other flours as I do in this recipe, it's delicious! You can also use millet, buckwheat, spelt or whole wheat flour if you want.

One reason I really like this recipe is because of it's versatility. You can use almost any fruit you want, fresh or frozen. Since we are still in the stone fruit season, I made this cake with plums. When choosing your fruits, make sure you pick plums (or pluots) that are not too ripe and juicy.

Here are a few other ideas you might want to try depending on the season :

Rhubarb and strawberries (one of my favorite version!)
Apricots and slices almonds
Blueberries, raspberries or blackberries and peaches or nectarines
Apples or pears, cinnamon and a drizzle of vegan caramel (recipe here)
Pineapples, cinnamon and ginger
Mangos and fresh vanilla pods
Fresh or frozen cherries or cranberries
Thin slices of citrus fruits (blood oranges, lemon, oranges, grapefruit, etc.)

Plum "upside down" yogurt cake (Gluten-free)

Adapted from Green Kitchen Stories

Yield : 8 servings

Ingredients for the cake :

2 cups almond meal or flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour (you can use millet, buckwheat, spelt or buckwheat if you want)
2 tablespoons tapioca or arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon aluminium-free baking powder
1/2 cup coconut butter or oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
Zest of 2 lemons
3 organic eggs (whites and yolks separated)
1/2 cup plain yogurt (sheep, greek or non-dairy yogurt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the fruits :

3-4 cups of plums - See note
4 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Preheat your oven at 350F. Cut your plums in slices. In a large pan, combine the fruits, maple syrup, water, ginger and cook over medium low heat for about 7 minutes. You want your fruits to be still intact. Strain the syrup and save it for serving. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine almond flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, baking powder, sea salt and set aside.
In a different bowl, mix the coconut butter with maple syrup (or honey), lemon zest, yogurt, vanilla extract and egg yolks with an electric mixer (or in a blender if you prefer) until creamy.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until well combined.
In a clean separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer (make sure your blades are super clean) until soft peaks appear. Gently fold the egg whites in the cake mixture with a spatula.
Put a baking sheet or parchment paper in a 8 inch spring form cake pan.
Carefully arrange your fruits on the bottom of the pan and cover with the cake batter.
Bake the cake for about 45 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clear and the cake is golden).
Let cool for a few minutes. Place a plate over the cake and turn upside-down (in one motion flip). Remove the sides of the spring form pan. Drizzle with the plum ginger syrup on top before serving.
Note that this cake is better if eaten the same day or one day after.

Note : The amount of fruit needed for the topping is between 3-4 cups, depending on how it is cut. For example, you'll probably need more blueberries compared to peaches or plums.