We love a thick layer of buttercream as much as the next person, but baking a cake is an undertaking even without the whole frosting step. Enter the upside-down cake, which practically decorates itself with a jewel-like layer of fruit coated in caramelized sugar and butter on the bottom of the pan. Invert the cake and voilà, the pretty topping is revealed. Here, 18 upside-down cakes that will win you the title of “star baker.”
18 Upside-Down Cakes That Basically Decorate Themselves
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Published Mar 21, 2022
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
1. Blackberry Plum Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly
The cake batter has a bit of whole wheat flour in it, which adds a nutty flavor and makes the whole thing taste like a really delicious PB&J sandwich.
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
2. Ombré Citrus Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 40 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser
This beauty looks like you spent all day making it, but luckily, looks can be deceiving. If you can slice citrus, you’re halfway there. (Now, ready thy Instagram.)
Photo: Matt Dutile/Styling: Erin McDowell
3. Caramelized Butternut Squash Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
Squash in a cake? Trust us: It’s sweet, tender and even better than pumpkin. One bite, and you’ll have a new dessert in your permanent fall baking rotation.
Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell
4. Kumquat Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
If you’re new to kumquats, well, they’re kind of tart, kind of bitter and BFFs with the brown sugar and butter in this cake. We think you’ll love them.
Benito Martin/Always Add Lemon
5. Pineapple And Ginger Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy
While we love the pairing of sweet pineapple and spicy ginger, this cake could be adapted to any fruit: plums, nectarines, peaches, apricots, strawberries, blueberries, you name it.
Erin McDowell
6. Strawberry Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, under 500 calories
Put away the piping tips and fussy frosting. When you’re working with in-season strawberries, no other decorations are needed.
Erin McDowell
7. Apple Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, under 500 calories
Serve it warm or at room temperature, à la mode or on its own. (Personally, we like a generous dollop of whipped cream.)
Sally's Baking Addiction
8. Upside-down Pear Gingerbread Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
The spicy, moist and flavorful gingerbread base, combined with a brown sugar caramel sauce, makes this one a holiday no-brainer.
Broma Bakery
9. Caramelized Banana Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, special occasion–worthy
Sure, you could turn that bunch of ripe bananas into your usual bread. But why not kick things up a notch?
Bojon Gourmet
10. Ginger, Vanilla And Quince Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 2 hours, 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Working with quince is a labor of love (it’s so sour and astringent, it’s basically inedible until cooked), but the results are worth the effort. You’ll be left with a tangy-sweet topping that happens to be easy on the eyes too.
Half Baked Harvest
11. Brown Butter Plum Upside-down Yogurt Cake With Pistachios
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, special occasion–worthy, kid-friendly
Since we’re all about balance, the cake itself is packed with yogurt and whole wheat flour—it’s practically wholesome. (But TBH, we were hooked at “brown butter.”)
Well Plated by Erin
12. Peach Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, under 500 calories
If you could distill summer into a cake flavor, it would be this one. Splurge on the farmers market peaches. They’re worth it.
A Cookie Named Desire
13. Caramel Apple Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why We Love It: Under 500 calories, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Even with the caramel sauce, we’re considering serving the leftovers for breakfast. It’s that good.
Sally’s Baking Addiction
14. Cranberry Apple Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
As much as we love pie, we think pumpkin, apple and pecan could all use a break. This bright and fruity number is just as festive, but so much more unexpected.
Half Baked Harvest
15. Skillet Cinnamon Sugar Peach Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Here’s proof that you don’t need to be a professional-level baker to pull out all the stops. All you need is a skillet, some seasonal fruit and a side of vanilla bourbon whipped cream.
Grandbaby Cakes
16. Pineapple Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why We Love It: Crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients
You can’t beat tradition. This nostalgic cake is simple, sweet and practically foolproof. Just promise you won’t skip the maraschino cherries.
How Sweet Eats
17. Blood Orange Vanilla Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser
Behold, our favorite way to meet our daily fruit requirements. If you can’t find blood oranges, regular ones will work too.
Snixy Kitchen
18. Chestnut Plum Upside-down Cake
- Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Why We Love It: Special occasion–worthy, crowd-pleaser, gluten free
Chestnut flour is worth seeking out: Its earthy notes pair delightfully well with sweet-tangy stone fruit, while lending a tender crumb to the cake. (Psst: It’s also gluten free.)
