A layer of caramel, peaches, and blueberries topped with a sweet vanilla cake. This upside-down cake screams summer fruit and is the only recipe you'll ever need. Change the fruit and make it year-round.
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So, what is an upside-down cake?
It's a cake that is baked with a layer of caramel and fruit at the bottom and topped with cake batter. So when you unmold it and turn it upside down (hence the name), the fruit layer becomes the top.
It is not only beautiful but also incredibly delicious. The fruit caramelizes with the sugar and butter in the bottom and creates a mixture of flavors that is hard to beat.
The cake is usually flavored with vanilla, but the combinations are endless, like this pear upside-down cake.
About this recipe
- Peaches and blueberries - the combination of these two fruits is amazing, especially when peaches are in season. The natural sugars in the fruit enhance the caramel flavor and the final cake tastes so much better because of it. You can use nectarines too and have a very similar result.
- Caramel layer - the first layer is brown sugar and butter so you know that a rich caramel will form during baking and will be made even better with the juices that will be released from the fruit.
- Vanilla cake - the cake is simple, easy to make, light and perfect to hold the caramel and juicy fruits. I tend to be very particular about ratios in a cake, and this peach blueberry upside-down cake is no exception.
Kitchen Notes
- Fruit: you can use white or yellow peaches and fresh or frozen blueberries. Find firm peaches in season for better results. If the fruit is overripened, it will turn mushy during baking. About arranging the fruit, I have no patience, but you can arrange it in a nice pattern if that’s your thing. I just throw it all inside (middle image, above) and they arrange themselves as they see fit.
- Caramel: I urge you to use brown sugar. You can technically use white sugar but the results are different. Brown sugar already has a caramel undertone and melts differently, has more moisture and just works better for this recipe.
- Pan: a cake pan without a removable bottom is the best, in my opinion. If it's non-stick, even better. If you use the regular ones with a removable bottom, make sure they are super tight and there is no possibility of leakage. Both the caramel and the fruit juices will want to leak, and if there's a tiny spot open, they will and will burn in the bottom of your oven, and we don't want that.
- Batter: you can add some orange zest or cinnamon to the batter, but it really works with just vanilla, as stated in the recipe. But you have the option.
- Removing the cake: you have to unmold the cake while still warm, almost hot. Otherwise, the caramel starts to harden and will stick with the fruit to the pan. Even if you do it while hot, some pieces of fruit might cling to the bottom. So, first of all, carefully swipe a smooth blade knife around the edges to unstick the cake from the sides. Shake the pan a bit and feel if the bottom loosens. Invert it carefully by placing a wire rack on top of the pan and flipping it (use a kitchen towel to aid you since holding the sides of the pan) onto the serving plate. If pieces of fruit are stuck, lift them carefully with a spatula or knife and arrange them back in the cake.
- Freezing: you can freeze this cake. Make sure it's well wrapped in plastic and then in aluminum foil. Defrost in the refrigerator first and then take it to room temperature.
Flavor variations
- Apple - they make a great cake together with some added ground cinnamon in the batter.
- Pineapple - the original upside-down cake probably. It works very well with both fresh and canned pineapple slices. Use pecans instead of the blueberries.
- Pear - this is one of my favorite combinations, especially with pecans. A gingerbread batter on top works well too.
- Banana - this is a heavenly combination with the caramel.
So, about this upside-down cake. Nothing new, except that it's so freaking good, with all that fresh fruit drenched in caramel. It is worth making, the sooner, the better.
Related recipes you might like:
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Blueberry Peach Upside-down Cake
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A layer of caramel, peaches, and blueberries topped with a sweet vanilla cake. This upside down cake screams summer fruit and is the only recipe you'll ever need. Change the fruit and make it year round.
Ingredients
- 3 peaches, fresh, peeled, cored and sliced
- 2 cups blueberries, fresh, washed and dried
For the caramel:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar
For the cake:
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup cake flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C).
For the caramel and fruit:
- In a 9-inch round cake pan (without removable bottom) with 3-inch high border, put 5 tablespoons unsalted butter and sprinkle with ⅔ cup light brown sugar. Pop into the oven to melt, (while you prepare the rest). Stir a few times to mix both ingredients.
- Put 3 peaches, peeled and sliced and 2 cups blueberries in a pattern or any way you want. The whole bottom should be covered.
For the cake:
- In a large bowl beat 5 tablespoons unsalted butter with ½ cup white sugar.
- Add 1 egg and beat well. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla and mix.
- Sift 1 cup cake flour, ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt, and add to the butter mixture in 2 parts, alternating with ½ cup whole milk. Mix well but do not overdo it.
- Carefully spread the batter over the fruit and level it. It should cover all or most of it.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the surface spongy when touched.
- Let rest for 2 or 3 minutes and then carefully unmold onto the serving plate (see notes below).
- Eat warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Fruit: you can use white or yellow peaches and fresh or frozen blueberries (left image, above). Find in season, firm peaches for better results. If the fruit is overripen it will turn mushy during baking. About arranging the fruit, I have no patience, but you can arrange it in a nice pattern if that’s your thing. I just throw it all inside (middle image, above) and they arrange themselves as they see fit.
Caramel: I urge you to use brown sugar. You can technically use white sugar but the results are different. Brown sugar already has a caramel undertone and melts differently, has more moisture and just works better for this recipe.
Pan: a cake pan without a removable bottom is the best in my opinion. If it's non-stick even better. If you use the regular ones with a removable bottom, make sure it's super tight and there is no possibility of leakage. Both the caramel and the fruit juices will want to leak and if there's a tiny spot open they will and will burn in the bottom of your oven, and we don't want that.
Batter: you can add some orange zest or cinnamon to the batter, but it really works with just vanilla as stated in the recipe (right image, above). But you have the option.
Removing the cake: you have to unmold the cake while still warm, almost hot. Otherwise, the caramel starts to harden and will stick with the fruit to the pan. Even if you do it while hot some pieces of fruit might cling to the bottom. So, first of all, carefully swipe a smooth blade knife around the edges to unstick cake from the sides. Shake the pan a bit and feel if the bottom loosens. Invert it carefully by placing a wire rack on top of the pan and flipping it (use a kitchen towel to aid you since holding the sides of the pan) onto the serving plate. If pieces of fruit are stuck lift them carefully with a spatula or knife and arrange them back in the cake.
Freezing: you can freeze this cake. Make sure it's well wrapped in plastic and then in aluminum foil. Defrost in the refrigerator first and then take it to room temperature.
Did you try this recipe?Let me know in the comments below!
Becky says
Hello, Does this cake have to be refrigerated? I'm baking it now and can't wait to try it!
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Becky! It has to cool down at room temperature when you take it out of the oven before eating. After that, I recommend refrigerating leftovers, covered with plastic wrap or something similar.
vanessa says
what an absolute disaster....what could go wrong did go wrong. firstly there wasn't sufficient batter to spread over the fruit and secondly I took it out after 40 minutes as it looked golden on top and firm to the touch. when I flipped it over gently it all fell out. it wasn't cooked!!!! smelt great but that's about it, and I followed recipe instructions to a tea. kept going over and over to see where I went wrong. recipe also says 350 degrees celsius. I assumed it meant Fahrenheit and converted that into Celsius being 170.....is This where I went wrong????
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Vanessa, the first thing that comes to mind is the oven: Do you have an electric or a gas oven? Gas ovens can be tricky. Might the temperature have been off? What you describe happened to me at times with ovens that were not working well and showed an inaccurate temperature. Especially if it's too high, it will cause it to have a baked golden top and still be very wet inside. Same thing if the oven was not set to the 'upper and lower heat' mode. It happened to me by accident a few times.
Did the cake rise? It might be an issue with the baking powder and soda not working. If you forgot to add them or they didn't work as they should, it can account for the cake not baking well.
I tried this recipe a few weeks ago while testing a strawberry upside-down cake, and the cake batter recipe worked well.
Jane Davitt says
Nice cake but tasted very strongly of the baking soda; should it have been baking powder?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Jane, sorry to hear that. I didn't have that issue, but I will see if I can add a variation with baking powder. All I can think is that baking soda might be stronger depending on the brand? I don't even know if that can be. But I'll look into it.
Aja says
I'm excited for this to come out of the oven. However, one thing: you call this a vanilla cake, but there is no vanilla listed in the ingredients, nor indeed anywhere in the recipe. I added some into the milk before blending it in anyway, but even so -- not sure if that was on purpose or not. 🙂
Otherwise, easy recipe to follow. My pan was much too shallow, so I ended up using a skillet as I've done with other recipes (let skillet come to temperature in the oven while it preheated, because they're such heavy pans they take awhile to heat up). I'm sure it'll turn out differently, but looks fine so far.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Aja, I don't know why the vanilla was missing, but I updated the recipe. Thanks for the heads-up.
Michele says
Pass me a fork! Those caramelized peaches and blueberries look amazing. I love this version of upside down cake. YUM!
Analida Braeger says
This looks like it'd go with a warm cup of coffee so well! The peaches is where you had me sold 🙂
Kushigalu says
Love the combo and the cake looks so gorgeous and delicious. A perfect way to use fruits in season!
Eileen Kelly says
This is such a delicious upside down cake. The fruit is just delicious and caramelized. Your variations are awesome. A perfect dessert cake!
Paula Montenegro says
Thanks Eileen!
Tammy says
Save me a slice! I love upside down cakes...the peaches and blueberries are a perfect combo and this looks marvelous!
Michelle says
Blueberries and peaches are a great flavor combination. This is a beautiful and flavorful cake. Great recipe!
Nicoletta De Angelis Nardelli says
Always loved upside-down cakes with all the fruit and that sticky gooey caramel! Nice combo peaches and blueberries! It looks great!
Lizzy says
This is such a unique new way to use peaches and blueberries. I can't get enough these days, so upside-down cake it is!
Danielle Wolter says
This is like the ultimate summer cake. I am just in love! Perfect for all the fresh peaches I am getting!!
David Scott Allen says
Paula - great minds really are alike! I just finished creating a recipe very similar - a metamorphosis from my mothers Cherry Berry Peach Pie to an upside down cake! The combination is really lovely!
brianm245 says
Will thus work in a 9in by 2in high pan? That's all I have.
wp_vknotes_admin says
If it's a 9-inch round or square pan it will work
milkandbun.com says
I make plum upside down cake pretty often, this one looks incredible too, will try next time 🙂
laurasmess.me says
You're amazing. You are and always will be a beautiful, valued foodie friend, whether you post once a year or once a week! So glad that you're on insta too, it's wonderful to be able to connect up whether we've managed to scrape together a post or not. This cake, by the way, is gorgeous xxx