Individual Plum Upside Down Cakes

Think individual pineapple upside down cakes made with any fruit you like. Plums come out of the oven fruit-tart perfect; glistening and cooked down but still holding their glorious shape. Raspberries, kiwis and blueberries work perfectly too. The cake is brown sugar luscious with a perfect crumb. This recipe is ideal for entertaining. One batch yields 12 charming little cakes.

Ingredients:

3	Plums, pitted
1	tablespoon sugar, more or less to taste

1 1/4	cups flour
1/2	teaspoon salt
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	cup brown sugar
1/2	cup granulated sugar
1/4	cup (half a stick) butter
1	large egg
1/2	cup buttermilk
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a non-stick muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
	To prepare the fruit: Slice the plums into thin slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise. Place in a medium non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle with sugar. Let them stand while you prepare the batter.
	To prepare the batter: In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together both sugars and the butter until combined. Add egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Mix until completely incorporated. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, blending thoroughly.
	Distribute plums evenly throughout muffin tin. Pour batter evenly over fruit. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a few cakes, comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a large cookie sheet over muffin tin and invert. Serve immediately.

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