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.
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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.
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