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Traditionally, an “upside-down cake” is a cake that is baked with its toppings at the bottom of the pan. After baking, the cake gets turned out onto a plate so the toppings end up face-up. I mention this because while I will be sharing my mom’s upside-down cake recipe with you today, this recipe doesn’t actually meet any of the traditional requirements I just mentioned!
This dessert is actually more like a fruit cobbler than a cake, but my family has called it “berry upside-down cake” since I was a little girl! I believe we called it that because of the way the cake batter and the fruit layer swap places while it bakes. And that almost counts as an upside-down effect, right? ;-) But no matter what you want to call it, this berry-filled dessert is one of my family’s all-time favorites for a reason!
Related: This Pineapple Dessert Will Take You Back To Your Grandma’s Kitchen
I’ll often make this dessert if we’re having people over for dinner, because it’s easy to throw together and makes enough to feed a crowd. It also tastes amazing, thanks to the combination of sweet and tart berries and warm cake. This recipe is also quite forgiving, so it’s easy to make adjustments! For a GF version, just use a gluten free baking mix in place of the flour. And feel free to use whatever berries you like! (Boysenberries are a family favorite, but blueberries come in at a close second.)
Give this easy dessert a try, and I’m sure your family will love it as much as mine does! :-)
Berry Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can berries (of your choice) in light syrup*
*Note: My mom always used canned boysenberries in this recipe, but I often have a hard time finding canned fruit in stores (though you can buy them online!) When I can’t find them or I’m feeling impatient, I just use frozen fruit instead. It’s an easy swap and they taste just as good! Simply swap the can of berries for a 16-ounce package of frozen berries. Let the berries thaw completely before using, and don’t drain any of the liquid off.
Directions:
Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add the milk and stir until smooth. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir until combined.
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Pour the batter into the bottom of a 9×11″ baking dish, and spread it out to form an even layer.
Pour the berries (including any liquid) over the top of the batter layer.
Finally, sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar over the top of the berries. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Allow the cake to cool for 15-30 minutes to help it set up, then serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream (or my personal favorite, a splash of half and half!)
Berry Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups sugar divided
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 15 oz can berries (of your choice) in light syrup
Instructions
- Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to cream together the softened butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add the milk and stir until smooth. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the bottom of a 9x11" baking dish, and spread it out to form an even layer.
- Pour the berries (including any liquid) over the top of the batter layer.
- Finally, sprinkle the remaining cup of sugar over the top of the berries. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool for 15-30 minutes to help it set up, then serve with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream (or my personal favorite, a splash of half and half!)
