Name: Plum upside-down cake
Total time: 1 h
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 150g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin; 45g demerara sugar; 6 plums, halved and stoned; 150g soft light brown sugar; 3 eggs; 75g couscous; 125g self-raising flour; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 tbsp whole milk; yogurt or crème fraîche, to serve

A rectangular cake topped with pink plums set against a marble background

150g unsalted butter
softened, plus extra for the tin
45g demerara sugar
6 plums
halved and stoned
150g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
75g couscous
125g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp whole milk
yogurt or crème fraîche
to serve

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter the base and sides of a 20cm non-stick square tin. Evenly sprinkle the demerara sugar over the base and sides of the pan, then arrange the plum halves on top in a neat pattern, cut-sides down.
step 2
Tip the butter into a bowl with the brown sugar and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 minutes or until really light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition.
step 3
Tip in the couscous, flour, vanilla, milk and a pinch of fine sea salt, and fold everything together to combine. Scrape into the tin over the plums and level the top with a spatula, being careful not to disturb the plums. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through and a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
step 4
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to release. Carefully flip onto a serving platter and remove the tin. Cool until just warm, then cut into slices and serve with dollops of yogurt or crème fraîche.