You may find this hard to fathom but about half of these photos are from 2012. Yes, I have waited that long to post this recipe. And I don’t quite know why, as it is a good one. Easy, seasonal, thrifty and really quite luscious for a food to glow pudding. It won’t be luscious compared to a Nigella or Mary Berry recipe – what with the lower sugar, fat, and blatant lack of icing. But if your tastes run to the healthy then this might seem quite a treat. I know it does for me. But then again, I don’t get out much.
The method is incredibly easy and no special equipment or ingredients are required. I have given slightly more esoteric options should you wish them, but your everyday baking arsenal is fine, too. Not everyone just happens to have a jar of coconut sugar or a tub of coconut oil.
As to how to top this cobbler, I try and always let the fruit do the talking – no overly sweet batter to mask perfectly ripe, seasonal fruit. The fruit is front and centre in this topsy-turvy pudding.
This year my Victoria plum tree has outdone itself. Often times it is fairly skimpy but every few years the crop is quite a whopper and I end up begging neighbours to take some off our hands. One year I had a laundry basket’s worth. Quite a lot for a single, small tree. Some fruits go in the freezer, some get eaten as they are, some go for chutney and compote. And of course some go in sweet bakes like this. But looking at the tree today I know that I won’t be able to deal with the fruit fast enough, and that by the week’s end I will be leaving little bulging bags on door steps, hoping the recipients aren’t also similarly burdened with rapidly ripening produce.
Now, what to do with all of my unripened tomatoes….
Plum-Berry Upside-Down Cobbler
Once you’ve had your fill of late summer berries and plums, try this.
I’ve made this on both a barbeque grill and in the oven, with equally delicious results. Use plums, mirabelles, greengages, brambles, and even throw in some seasonal English cobnuts if they are around. This recipe gives you a good-natured, thick batter to sink in whatever fruit looks good to you right now. Where you bake it is up to you!
80g (1/3 c) butter or coconut oil, softened + 2 tsp for the skillet, or use oil spray
75g – 100g (1/3- ½ c) raw sugar – I used 50g coconut blossom sugar, but succanat or turbinado would be similar
100g (3/4 c) spelt or AP flour (I have also used home-ground quinoa flour* with good results)
75g (3/4 c) fine almond meal/ground almonds*
Pinch salt (optional if using salted butter)
180ml (3/4 c) plant milk or dairy milk – I used almond milk
¾ tsp almond or vanilla essence
8 ripe plums (more if using greengages or mirabelles), halved and stoned
Good cupped handful of berries
Extra sugar –optional
You will also need: A 10-inch cast iron skillet or a round, sturdy/heavy baking tin. Oil this well.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Or, use a lidded outdoor grill – ashy and post-bbq warmth.
- Cream together the butter and sugar in a medium bowl, until the sugar ‘disappears.’
- In another bowl, dry-whisk the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt, if using.
- Alternate adding the flour and the milk to the sugar and butter mix, popping in the almond essence or vanilla, too. Mix very well until you achieve a thick batter. You want to be able to hold it aloft and have to shake the spoon to let the batter drop.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared skillet or tin and top with the fruit. Try not to put the wettest fruit pieces in the centre as this may make the middle a bit soggy. Sprinkle over a little extra sugar if you wish. I don’t, but my daughter would like me to. I’m such a meany!
- Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the batter is ever so slightly pulling away from the sides. Serve warm with extra fruit, cream, almond or cashew cream, or thick yogurt. The sides and bottom of the cobbler should be slightly crisp with a soft, light inside – like a soft cookie.
* I use my Froothie Optimum 9400 to make my own fine flours – no need for separate equipment or jug. I’ll post how to make quinoa flour – and save yourself some serious money doing so – soon. 🙂 Order yours here to take advantage of an extended warranty (12 years) and shipping anywhere at UK domestic rates.
plum-berry upside down skillet cobbler on the BBQ
Have never seen this, it has got to be as delicious tasting as it looks!
Looks delicious and easy to make!
i am definitely going to try this! looks perfect for a picnic!
It’s looks great
Better late than never!! Can you believe I haven’t eaten a single plum yet this summer? Your own plums look so gorgeous (along with this cobbler) that I’m adding all the ingredients to today’s shopping list. This will be a fun 1st day back to school surprise dessert for my kids 🙂
We’ve only just starting getting our own in here in the UK so you aren’t behind as far as I am concerned, Miss EA.If you try this with quinoa flour or the like, do let me know. I like it but not sure what others might think…
This cobbler looks absolutely delicious and I have to admit that I’ve never tried one. It’s a great recipe and I think I’m gonna try it this weekend so I could enjoy my morning coffee with something yummy 🙂 beautiful pictures!
I’d love to think this was going to be made in your kitchen. There’s enough fruit going on to make it great for breakfast 🙂
This healthy and delicious recipe. It open the aptitude and gives energy!
Upside down cobbler, awesome! This looks amazing!
This looks just gorgeous! Such a tasty way to use lots of fruit 🙂
The plum tree at the back of mine is shedding it’s load all over my back garden – now I know what to do with them. And I have all the ingredients too bar the sugar. Thanks for sharing Kellie
Oh of course just use light brown sugar, Stuart. Wearing my cancer health educator hat, sugar is sugar to your body but some real actual nutrients in the raw stuff. Same calories though! I bet you have loads of tasty puds lined up for your plum haul.
Well now this looks summery and delicious… is it still warm in your part of the world Kellie?
Oh Liz…. Unfortunately August has been much much cooler than it should be. Rainy and windy too. Camping trip was cut short as it was such awful weather up north. Autumn is here. Socks, jumpers and jackets…. But it was gorgeous from April onwards so I need to remember that.
Wow! My mouth is watering!
This is my kind of dessert. I love both the way it presents itself and that it is light on sugar allowing the fruit to naturally sweeten the cobbler. I love this!
Gorgeous! Must make for family brunch this weekend 🙂
Yum! My parents have an Italian plum tree in their back yard, though in recent years it hasn’t been fairing too well (and greedy bears have torn both of their apple trees out of the ground, unfortunately). We used to get masses of plums which we’d halve and pit and stash in the freezer for year round baking. This cake would be the perfect thing to do! I’m going to see if my blender can make quinoa flour, though I fear I may just have to get some from the shop around the corner. I haven’t delved into coconut sugar yet for ecological reasons, but I’m going to try and source some good stuff and give it a go. Is there a brand you like?
I got a stash before I read more about eco concerns, but it was a reputable organic co like Biona, I think. I also use succanat but mainly use almost no sugar of any kind. Exceptions for cake 🙂
It looks so good!!!
Even in 2012 your pics were lovely, you’ve inspired me to be more organised about my blogs. I only have three in my drafts and that’s more than the average!
Quinoa flour- I like this idea lots! Does it taste nutty?
I haven’t made a cobbler in a skillet like this, I really like that yours isn’t overly moist, just oozy in a perfectly inviting way x
I’m having a laugh as I am not organised at all.;-) I think up concoctions during my frequent bouts of insomnia (3 hour’s sleep on Sunday…), make them when I can. Remake at least once then take pictures. At some point I’ll decipher my scribbles to make a recipe then who knows when I write a post! It is that random. I try to do things seasonally and that’s my only guide. That and try not to post about breakfast every single time!
3 hours sleep? Oh poor you Kellie…do you ever get to catch up in the day? The regularity of your posts is admirable…mine has dwindled at the moment-my nose is in academic material and I’m finding it challenging with the tot.
Kellie I love your all-day breakfast recipes. I’d buy the book xx
Ps homemade quinoa flour is slightly nutty, in a good way. It’s MUCH superior to bought as its freshly made. Quinoa high in essential fats so goes off quickly. Little batches are best. My Froothie made it better than bought. I’ll never buy it again.
My mum will LOVE the art and skill involved in this. Think I really enjoyed this post for that reason too xx
Yum! This sounds great. Is there any approximation for how many g of fruit to use? Also, I have plums I froze earlier in the season. Bad choice for this I assume?
I just weighed some of our plums and I would say about 225g whole fruit. Just defrost, pat dry and start adding, leaving gaps so the batter puffs up a bit. Does that help?
It does! Thank you!
This looks absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I was looking to make exactly this, this weekend! I will have to try it! Looks amazing 🙂
It looks delightful and so summer- fresh
This looks so beautiful and very tasty. Suddenly, there is such a bounty of fruit. Skillet cake baking is a new one on me.
Such a beautiful and fresh cake. 🙂
I like anything that can be oven baked in a skillet – glad I’m not the only one to have ancient unpublished, on-the-to-do-list pics (although mine are probably now not publishable).
As a pastry chef, I love desserts like this that are simple and easily adaptable to stay seasonal all year long.
A luxurious most delicious looking dessert and vegan too! At the moment we are cresting the seasons with spring making everything shiny and the birds crazy. This looks like something that would be amazing with some coconut whipped cream or homemade vegan custard. A really soul satisfying taste of late summer so I had better use apples for mine 😉