RECIPE | Plum & almond 'upside-down' cake

September is such a great month. The leaves are starting to turn, there's a light chill in the air and it's the best time for lots of varieties of fruit and vegetables. In season now are blackberries and apples for jams and puddings as well as potatoes, squashes and sweetcorn perfect for nutritious family dinners.

Always one to advocate a little indulgence (particularly as the nights start to draw in and the temperature drops), this moist, almost pudding-like cake uses plums and greengages grown locally here in West Sussex.

I've adapted the recipe from my mum's pineapple 'upside-down' cake as it's one of my childhood favourites, using English plums instead of the exotic fruit. My mum would add a few glacé cherries to the bottom (or indeed, top) of the cake, which my sister and I always fought over! Here, no such squabbling is necessary. The only added ingredient to this autumnal treat is almond, which gives the top of the cake a lovely crisp texture when eaten warm.

If you'd prefer to use another autumnal fruit, you can! All sorts of English apples are currently available as well as pears and blackberries so choose your favourite and adapt the recipe by only using as much fruit as needed to cover the bottom of your tin with small gaps.

Ingredients:

150g self raising flour

100g butter

150g golden caster sugar

100g ground almonds

3 free range eggs

1 tsp almond extract

300g British plums (de-stoned and sliced in half)

Method

1 - Sieve the flour and add to the bowl along with the ground almonds and sugar.

2 - Mix in the eggs, butter and almond extract. Blend together using a hand whisk or processor for a few minutes until fully mixed.

3 - Place the plums in a greased baking tin and spread the cake mixture over the top.

4 - Bake in the oven for approximately 30 mins (200 Celsius), checking with a fork or cake tester to make sure the sponge is cooked all the way through. Bear in mind it will be moist towards the bottom because of the fruit, which is fine.

5 - Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Place a plate on top of the cake and carefully turn upside down, removing the tin.

6 - Sprinkle the top with some ground or flaked almonds and serve immediately with custard or a scoop of ice-cream.

Enjoy!