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I hope you made it through the Super Bowl if you were watching it. You probably have absolutely no food left or a fridge full of leftovers. Either way, cake should be next on your list of eats!

Light upside down cake topped with fresh blueberries

We’re all familiar with the classic Pineapple Upside Down Cake, a soft white sponge cake with caramelized sugar-topped pineapple rings. It’s iconic, a beacon of home baking status and come on, who used to steal the cherries as soon as it was turned out of the pan? Baking a cake upside down is actually no new thing, In France they have a Tarte Tatin but no one dare call it an “Upside Down Apple Cake” but it is, with the sponge base replaced by pastry. You can use plenty of different fruits for an upside down cake, I adapted this recipe which was originally asking for cherries but peaches and blackberries would be awesome too.

Blueberry and lemon upside down dessert cake

Baking the cake is kind of exciting because you can’t see the cool, shiny delicious part until you flip it upside down. It’s a total “Ta-Da” moment. You plan for a perfectly shaped cake but sometimes the fruit can shift or stick to the pan and it might need a little maintenance. Make sure to grease the pan generously with butter before starting and because the fruit shrinks as it cooks, pack it tightly even if it overlaps, and hopefully it won’t slide when you turn it onto a plate.

A quick shake with some powdered sugar is all this cake needs.

Blueberry and lemon easy upside down cake

Check out more upside down cakes.

Averie cooks- The Best Pineapple Upside down Cake

The Bojon Gourmet- Ginger, Vanilla and Quince Upside Down Cake

Baking Bites- Orange Upside Down Cake

 

Blueberry and lemon upside down dessert cake

Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Author: Gerry Speirs
A light and fluffy upside down blueberry and lemon sponge cake. Make this for any brunch or tea occasions.
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Ingredients

For The Topping

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

For The Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick butter at room temperature 4oz
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon oil
  • 2 large eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9 inch round sponge cake pan by greasing the side with butter.
  • In a small pan melt the butter (4 tbsp) add the sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.
  • Heat the mixture until it starts to bubble up, cook for about 2 minutes and then pour it into the prepared pan and swirl to evenly coat the base of the pan.
  • Add the blueberries to the pan gently pressing them down with the palm of your hand and covering the base.
  • Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl and whisk to mix. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened stick of butter with the sugar until light and no longer grainy, scraping down as needed.
  • Add the lemon zest, vanilla and lemon oil and beat until well mixed.
  • Add the eggs one at a time scraping down and mixing well before adding the next egg.
  • Pour in half of the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low until incorporated.
  • Add the rest of the flour and mix.
  • Using a spatula transfer the cake batter to the pan and spread evenly over the blueberries.
  • Bake for about 45-50 minutes and the sponge is firm to the touch.
  • Let the cake rest for 10 minutes before placing a plate large enough to hold the cake, on top of the sponge.
  • Carefully lift the cake and plate and flip them over. Slowly lift the cake pan upwards and the cake should stay behind on the plate.

Notes

If any part of the cake sticks to the pan, you can use a knife to place it back onto the top of the cake pressing it down gently.
Recipe adapted from Eating Local by Janet Fletcher.