Who else is ready for Autumn baking to begin in earnest? I know I am. In the meantime I’m embracing this culinary in-between, where late Summer produce meets the first of Autumn’s. Sweetcorn cooked into a stew with ripe tomatoes, salads with figs, the last of the courgettes (maybe marrows by now) and first of the pumpkins and squashes, green herbs and foraged mushrooms. It also means making the most of September’s brambles and plums - I wait all year for these, my favourite fruits, and their season is all too short and bittersweet. Over the next few weeks I’ll be eating them as much as possible, baking with them when I get a spare moment and preserving some when I get my hands on a glut. This chocolate and plum upside-down cake is a new favourite. Rich chocolate meets sharp plum with halved fruit on top and chunks of chocolate through the batter. September in every mouthful.