Upside-Down Stone Fruit Cornbread Cake

The bright flavor of cornmeal goes great with summer’s bounty of fresh peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums and cherries. And remember, raspberries and blackberries are stone fruits too!

Add in some orange zest for a gentle, warming zing.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (12 Tbsp) 
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar  
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom 
  • 1 tsp salt 
  • 3 cups fresh stone fruits, pitted and sliced ½ inch  
  • 1 cup finely ground yellow cornmeal  
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour  
  • 1 tsp baking powder  
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar  
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature  
  • ½ cup whole milk, room temperature 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.  
  2. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and ½ tsp salt. Cook/stir until the sugar is melted and bubbling, about 10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, let cool slightly. 
  3. Arrange fruit in a circular pattern in bottom of skillet. Set aside. 
  4. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and ½ tsp salt in a small bowl.  
  5. Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment – or a hand mixer – beat remaining butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one by one, beating after each addition.  
  6. On low speed, add half the dry ingredients, half the milk, the remaining dry ingredients, then remaining milk. Increase speed to medium, beat just until well mixed, scraping down bowl once. Make sure no dry ingredients are stuck at the bottom of the bowl.  
  7. Drop big dollops of batter over fruit, then smooth it out with a spatula without disturbing fruit. 
  8. Bake 40-45 minutes, until top is golden brown, puffed and cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes. With cake still warm, run butter knife around edges, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve warm.