Cherry Upside-Down Cake Recipe
User Reviews
4.9
Cherry Upside-Down Cake Recipe
Description
This recipe creates a cherry upside-down cake by first melting butter and brown sugar in the cake pan to form a sticky layer. Fresh pitted and halved cherries are arranged cut-side down over this caramel base, pressing gently so they adhere. The cake batter combines all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, softened butter, egg yolks, vanilla, and warm milk. Beaten egg whites whipped with cream of tartar are folded in to add volume and airiness to the batter.
After pouring the batter over the cherries, the cake is baked until golden and cooked through. When inverted onto a serving plate, the cherries become a glossy topping providing moist, tart berry flavor paired with the richness of the buttery, soft crumb underneath. The use of cream of tartar stabilizes the egg whites to maintain the cake's light texture.
This cake is suited for dessert or tea time and benefits from fresh, ripe cherries for best results. The recipe is adapted from the Bon Appetit Cookbook and calls for a cake pan with around 2-inch tall sides to contain the batter and cherry topping properly.
Ingredients
For the Cherry Topping:
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted, 4 Tbsp
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 2 cups cherries 14 oz fresh, pitted and halved
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spoon into measuring cup and scrape off the top
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter unsalted, 8 Tbsp, softened at room temperature
- 2 egg separated, large
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk luke warm, whole
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
What you'll need:
- 9 cake pan width unspecified, 2 inch tall sides
Instructions
How to Make Cherry Upside-Down Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter sides of cake pan and place cake pan on the stove over low heat. Melt 4 Tbsp butter in the cake pan then add 3/4 cup brown sugar, stirring until well combined. Spread over the bottom of the pan and remove from heat. Place cherries, cut-side-down over the butter/sugar mixture, pressing down lightly to stick.
- Stir together 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, use a handheld electric mixer to beat together 1 cup sugar and 8 Tbsp butter until light and fluffy (5 minutes on high). Mix in 2 egg yolks (1 at a a time), beating well after each then beat in 1 tsp vanilla. Add 1/2 cup luke warm milk and mix on med/low speed until well blended. Add flour mixture and continue to mix on low speed until blended.
- In a clean bowl, beat 2 egg whites with 1/4 tsp cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Fold gently into batter in two additions, folding just until incorporated. Transfer batter to cake pan and even out the top with a spatula. Bake 55 min at 350˚F.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes then run a dull knife around edges of cake to loosen cake. Transfer to serving platter by placing platter over cake and inverting directly onto platter. Let stand 5 minutes then serve warm or at room temp.
Notes
- This recipe is adapted from the Bon Appetit Cookbook by Barbara Fairchild.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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