Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

Juicy blackberries caramelize on the bottom of this tender butter cake, turning jammy and dark as it bakes. Flip it onto a plate to reveal the glossy fruit topping. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for the perfect collision of warm cake and cold cream.

Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

Blackberries pooling with caramelized sugar underneath make this cake sing. The batter is tender and buttery, structured just enough to stay put while the fruit softens into the crumb. One inverted pan does all the work here: caramelize, bake, flip, done. Serve warm with ice cream melting into the warm fruit.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 2 1/2 cupfresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cupplus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tspbaking soda
  • 1/4 tspsalt
  • 1/2 stickunsalted butter, softened
  • 1 largeegg
  • 1 tspvanilla
  • 1/2 cupwell-shaken buttermilk
  • 1vanilla ice cream
  • 1parchment paper

Instructions

  1. Set the oven to 400°F.

  2. Butter an 8- by 2-inch round cake pan, cut 2 rounds of parchment to fit the bottom, press them in, and butter the parchment. Dust the inside with flour, then knock out whatever doesn't cling.

  3. Spread the blackberries in a single layer across the bottom of the pan. Scatter 1 1/2 tablespoons of sugar over them and give the pan a gentle shake to help the sugar settle into the gaps.

  4. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Drop in the egg and vanilla and mix on low just until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture and buttermilk in 3 alternating batches, stopping as soon as each addition disappears into the batter.

  5. Spoon the batter over the berries in an even layer, smoothing the surface, then slide the pan onto the middle rack. Bake until the top is golden and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

  6. Slide a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a large plate upside-down on top of the pan, grip the plate and pan firmly together with pot holders, and flip the whole thing in one confident motion. Lift off the pan, peel away the parchment, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Line the pan bottom with two rounds of parchment and butter both sides so it peels away cleanly after baking, no sticking drama.
  • Don't skip the flour dust in the empty pan before arranging berries, it helps release the cake when you invert.
  • Spoon batter gently over berries without stirring or pressing down, keep them intact so they stay in that pretty top layer when flipped.
  • If berries are very wet, toss them lightly with the sugar 5 minutes before baking so they release liquid that caramelizes instead of steaming the cake.

Variations

  • Swap blackberries for halved raspberries or quartered strawberries, reduce sugar on fruit to 1 tablespoon since they weep more.
  • Brown the butter before creaming it with sugar for a nutty depth that plays beautifully against tart berries.
  • Use buttermilk powder mixed with water instead of fresh buttermilk if that's what you have on hand, the result is nearly identical.
  • Finish with a pinch of cardamom or cinnamon mixed into the dry ingredients if you want spice behind the fruit.

Make ahead and storage

Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or wrap and refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat gently in a low oven before serving with fresh ice cream.