Upside Down Chai Apple and Plum Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray or grease with softened butter. Be liberal so that the cake and caramel don’t get the cake stuck to the pan! Set aside.
Add sugar and water to the bottom of a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Gently stir the sugar until all the sugar has moistened and bring it to a boil. Keep an eye on the caramel as it can burn quickly! Once the caramel is a light amber color, add butter and stir until melted. Add chai masala and salt and stir well.
Pour the caramel into the prepared 9-inch pan and tilt the pan around so that the bottom of the entire pan is covered in the caramel. The caramel may harden- this is ok!
Prep the apples and plums next. Peel the apples and slice the apple in half. Thinly slice each half into 1/8th inch thick slices. I used a mandolin for this to make it easier and faster. Pit your plum and slice that as well into 1/8th inch thick slices.
Layer the fruit slices over the caramel layer, alternating between plum and apple slices, until the whole bottom of the pan is covered. Set aside.
To make the cake, add unsalted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl for a stand mixer. Mix on high for 3 minutes, the butter should be light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add in sour cream, vegan mayonnaise, whole milk, and vanilla and mix for 2 minutes on high speed. Scrape the bowl down and add in the flour and mix on low speed until all the flour is incorporated. Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds and then
Spoon the batter into the cake pan with the caramel and layered apples and plums. Be gentle so the apple and plum slices don’t move around too much.  Use a spatula to spread the batter into an even layer and tap the pan on your table 3-4 times to get rid of any air bubbles.
Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 1-2 hours.
Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Place your serving plate on top and carefully flip the pan and plate. Give it a few gentle taps if needed to get the cake to fall out onto your serving plate. Remove the parchment paper and serve! I like to serve mine with homemade whipped cream! Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days.