This fruity blackberry upside-down cake is a delicious late summer bake that's perfect for a family dessert. It's delicious with ice cream, cream or custard and is perfect for making with freshly picked blackberries.
I've really got into upside-down cakes recently and it all started with The Great British Bake Off. First made a delicious banana upside-down cake and then the next week I made this blackberry one.
Until recently the only upside-down cake I remembered eating was a pineapple and glace cherry one that my mum used to make when I was growing up. We always ate it warm with vanilla ice cream, which is exactly how I like to eat this blackberry upside-down cake too! I may have to recreate it one day when I'm feeling a bit retro.
One of the good things about this cake is that it has fresh blackberries in it, so it's perfect to make when they are in season and you can pick them from the hedgerows.
However, cakes with fresh fruit in don't always last very long. This means you have a very good excuse to have second helpings, which we all did! And there was still some left over the next day. Of course, we could have eaten it cold, but it was perfect reheated and served again with cold vanilla ice cream melting into it.
What ingredients do you need for blackberry upside-down cake?
To make this delicious upside-down cake you'll need:
- Blackberries - You can use freshly picked ones, shop-bought berries or replace them with another berry. Raspberries and blueberries are also delicious in this dessert cake.
- Caster sugar
- Butter - I use unsalted but salted is also fine.
- Self-raising flour - If you don't have self-raising flour you can replace it with plain flour and a teaspoon of baking powder.
- Baking powder - An extra teaspoon of baking powder really helps this cake to rise and stay very light.
- Ground almonds
- Eggs - Ideally use eggs at room temperature so take them out of the fridge in advance but if you forget, don't worry about it! You can use them straight from the fridge.
- Vanilla extract - This just helps the sponge to have a lovely flavour. You can experiment with different flavours too. Almond or lemon extract also work in this particular cake.
How do you make blackberry upside down cake?
There is a full recipe card further down the page. Basically you need to start with a square cake tin. Line it with baking paper and make sure you fold the bottom corners up (if the tin has a loose bottom) so that the caramel can't leak out and burn in the oven.
Heat the butter and sugar for the topping in a saucepan and when melted and forming a caramel, pour into the cake tin. Arrange the blackberries on top of the caramel.
Then make the cake batter. Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, ideally using an electric whisk, although you can just use a wooden spoon. Then beat in the eggs one by one.
Finally fold in the flour, baking powder and ground almonds. Pour the cake batter into the cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for about 35 minutes.
Let it rest for 5 minutes after coming out of the oven and then turn the cake out of the tin so that the blackberries are on the top.
Can you adapt this blackberry upside-down cake recipe?
Yes, why not try making it with a different fruit? All kinds of fruits are delicious in upside-down cakes. You could try a diffrent berry such as blueberries or raspberries or something didfferent altogether such as peach slices.
If you don't have any ground almonds or want to make this cake nut-free, just use flour as a substitute. It'll still be delicious.
Storing the leftovers
Any leftover blackberry upside-down cake will keep for about 3 days. I like to reheat it and then serve it warm with ice cream but you can also eat it cold.
How to reheat upside down cake
I often pop individual pieces of cake in the microwave for about 30 seconds to reheat. Alternatively you can reheat it in the oven. It'll take about 5 minutes at 180C.
Can you freeze blackberry upside down cake?
Yes you can. Wait until it has cooled down completely before freezing. Wrap it up in an airtight freezer bag and you can then freeze it for up to three months. You can defrost the whole cake or cut the cake into individual pieces before freezing.
You can defrost at room temperature.
More upside down cake recipes
If you like this then do try my caramel banana upside down cake. Or my individual blueberry upside down chocolate cakes.
If you love blackberries then do check out my blackberry and coconut tray bake as well!
Recipe
Blackberry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Topping
- 250 g blackberries
- 75 g caster sugar
- 75 butter
Ingredients for the Cake
- 150 g butter at room temperature
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 50 g ground almonds
Instructions
- Line the bottom and sides of a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Use one sheet of baking parchment and turn the corners up carefully. Otherwise the caramel will drip out of the bottom of a tin if it has a loose bottom.
- Put the sugar and butter for the caramel in a saucepan and heat until bubbling and beginning to turn brown. Don't stir. Pour into the caramel into the bottom of the cake tin and arrange the blackberries on the top.
- To make the cake batter, beat the butter and sugar together. When light and fluffy, add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanillla extract.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the batter. Also add the ground almonds. Stir in gently until all the dry ingredients are combined with the wet ones.
- Pour the batter into the cake tin and then bake in a 180°C oven for about 35 minutes.
- Serve warm with cream, ice cream, custard or yogurt.
Notes
Nutrition
Keep in Touch
Do let me know if you make this blackberry upside-down cake or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
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bakecakecrumbs
What a delicious looking cake! I love a good upside down cake - the advantage to my mind is that there is no danger of the fruit sinking in a disappointing manner as with loaf cakes because you put the fruit on the bottom of the tin and it stays there!
Joanne
The caramelized tops of upside down cakes are always so amazing. loving this!
bigmaxy
Oh this is so retro - I think a pineapple upside down cake was one of the first cakes we made at school and I still love it, especially with ice-cream. A friend in the UK has just given me a lovely gift of Lorraine Pascal's cookbook and the upside down cake stood out immediately. This post really hit the spot for me!
Katerina
The melted, fruity caramel just makes my mouth drool!
Maria
Please send me a piece of this masterpiece! I need it to get through my day today!!!
Corina
If only I still had some left!