I won’t lie—the part I’ll miss most about summer in France this year is the stone fruit. They turned out especially sweet and flavorful this season—truly nature’s candy! I haven’t stopped making upside-down stone fruit cakes all summer, and I realize I go crazy over upside down cakes every summer, even when I lived in Jamaica (in fact, I included two tropical fruit upside down cakes in my cookbook from JA days, one sumac-jackfruit, the other pistachio-naseberry). It won’t be quite the same using autumn and winter fruits, but nothing lasts forever, so always enjoy it while it lasts.

There’s something so satisfying about making such cakes—the flipping, the pop of color from the fruits—as well as eating them, with the delightful contrast between juicy fruit and soft, baked cake.

Since I’ve been making colorful fruity cakes all summer long, I decided to share my recipe along with my top tips for getting it just right:

1. Get the fruit-to-cake-batter ratio right
   The recipe below strikes a great balance—just enough batter to support the fruit without overwhelming it.
2. To caramel or not to caramel
   Many purists swear by a sugar or honey caramel layer on the bottom of the pan. I’ve tried both methods and recommend skipping the caramel. Instead, rub your fruits with some cane sugar. It’s less messy, reduces excessive sweetness, and makes flipping the cake easier and safer.
3. Cover your cake pan with foil
   Before placing your cake in the oven, cover the top with foil. Remove it about 10 minutes before the end of baking to prevent the top (which becomes the bottom once flipped) from overcooking.
4. Avoid a springform pan if possible
   You want the cake to hold together when flipped. If a springform is all you have, that’s fine—just flip the cake first, then unlock the springform and THEN remove the top lid.
5. Follow the proper flipping sequence
   As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife around the edges to separate it from the pan. Let it sit for 10–15 minutes, and while still warm, flip it carefully. You can let it rest in that position until it cools, but flipping early ensures the fruit falls beautifully on top.
6. Place a larger pan underneath your cake pan
   Just in case fruit juices ooze out during baking, placing a larger pan underneath prevents burnt sugar fumes from filling your oven.

MY BASE RECIPE FOR UPSIDE DOWN ANY FRUIT CAKE:

Makes one 20 cm (8-inch) cake
Ingredients

For the cake:
270 g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
216 g (1 cup) cane sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup (180 ml) plant-based milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) water
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1-2 TBSP Spices of choice (e.g., cinnamon, cardamom, mixed spices etc)

For the fruit topping:
Fruit of choice (raw, not canned), sliced, deseeded
2 tbsp cane sugar

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
Prepare the cake pan
Line the bottom of a 20 cm (8-inch) cake pan with baking paper and grease the bottom and sides.
Place the cake pan on top of a larger baking pan to catch any fruit juices that may overflow—especially important if using a springform pan.
Arrange the fruit
Slice your fruit and arrange it neatly in a single layer on the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of cane sugar evenly over the fruit.
Make the batter
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cane sugar, baking powder, salt, and any spices you like.
Add the plant milk, water, and vegetable oil. Mix until smooth using a hand or stand mixer.
Assemble the cake
Pour the batter evenly over the fruit.
Cover the pan loosely with foil, leaving space between the batter and the foil.
Bake
Bake for 55 minutes, removing the foil after 45 minutes to allow the top to brown gently.
Flip the cake
Once baked, run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan.
Let the cake rest for 10–15 minutes, then carefully flip it onto a serving plate so the fruit is on top.
Let it rest flipped for 30 minutes before gently removing the cake pan.