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    Home - Cake

    Published: Apr 24, 2021 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Strawberry Upside Down Cake

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A gorgeous, flavor-packed strawberry upside down cake. Super easy, and perfect for a casual treat or even breakfast. This post was created in collaboration with Domino® Sugar. 

    cake on white plate next to milk, forks, and kitchen napkin

    Why it Works

    This cake is super easy to put together. All it requires is a few ingredients and fresh, in-season strawberries. 

    No crazy or hard to find ingredients. No special techniques. No special equipment.

    The cake itself is so soft and moist. The strawberry juice seeps into the cake just a bit to really infuse the cake with more strawberry flavor throughout. 

    It makes just enough to serve your family and a guest or two. Plus, it stores well to snack on later. 

    ingredients for strawberry upside down cake

    Ingredients

    There are only a few key ingredients we use in this strawberry upside down cake. A lot of them are pantry staples, so you probably have them in your kitchen already! Let’s go over a couple of the key ingredients. 

    • Strawberries - This recipe works best with those juicy, ripe, in-season strawberries. I recommend sticking to those. In a pinch, or when you have a craving for this cake in winter, you can use thawed frozen strawberries. 
    • Sugar - For the best results, you should use Domino® Golden Sugar because it brings out a light caramel flavor that really enhances the strawberries. It also bakes up beautifully in the cake for an unforgettable flavor and texture. In a pinch, you can use Domino® Granulated Sugar. For added depth, you can also experiment with using Domino® Light Brown Sugar in the strawberry topping. 
    • Flour - You should use all-purpose flour or white whole wheat flour. You can also try using cake flour in this recipe. 
    • Butter - I recommend using unsalted butter. In the past we’ve experimented with shortening and margarine, but the results are never consistent.
    • Sour Cream - Sour cream adds a light tang to the cake that adds to how delicious the flavor is. It also has the added benefit of tenderizing the cake. You can substitute the sour cream with nonfat Greek yogurt. 
    steps to make an upside down cake with strawberries

    Method

    Nothing beats how easy it is to make this strawberry upside down cake. The cake comes together quickly and in two parts. 

    1. Start with your strawberries. Slice at a medium thickness. Coat, and then set aside. 
    2. Mix the egg with half the sour cream and the vanilla and set aside. 
    3. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add in the butter and mix until it resembled pea-sized crumbs. 
    4. Add in the sour cream and mix. Then add in the egg mixture. 
    5. Pour the strawberry mixture into your prepared pan, then top with the cake batter. It will be thick - this is normal. 
    6. Bake, then flip the cake out and enjoy! 
    slice of cake on speckles plate next to milk

    Tips

    I recommend cutting the strawberries in rounds. It makes it easier for the berries to evenly coat the bottom of your baking pan. You are free to cut them in any shape you like, however. 

    If possible, I also like to leave the strawberries to sit in their mixture for about 15 minutes before you start making the cake batter. It will allow the juices to release more and you can coat your cake with that delicious syrup once you’ve flipped it out of the pan which will not only make it taste better, but it will also look prettier. 

    You don’t need to flip the cake immediately, if you don’t want to. You can also wait for the pan to cool longer if it makes it easier for you. Since we line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, it makes flipping the cake easier if you do decide to wait. 

    I recommend finishing the cake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream made with Domino® Confectioners Sugar. 

    F.A.Q.s

    Can I substitute the strawberries for other fruits?

    Yes, you can use blueberries, raspberries, pitted cherries, and other similar fruits. 

    Can I bake this in a square baking pan?

    Yes! You can use an 8x8 baking pan. The baking time will be slightly different, so I recommend checking at about 20 minutes. 

    close up of strawberry upside down cake

    Strawberry Upside Down Cake

    Amanda Powell
    A fluffy and flavorful strawberry upside down cake
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 45 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 10 mins
    Course Cake
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 slices
    Calories 203 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Top

    • ½ cup Domino® Golden Sugar
    • 2 tablespoons Arrowroot starch
    • ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 1 lbs Strawberries

    Cake

    • 1 large Egg room temperature
    • ½ cup Sour cream room temperature
    • 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
    • ¾ cup Domino® Golden Sugar
    • ¾ teaspoon Baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon Sea salt
    • 9 tablespoons Unsalted butter room temperature & cubed

    Instructions
     

    Cake Topping

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut out a round of parchment paper and line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan.
    • Whisk the Domino® Golden Sugar and arrowroot starch together in a medium bowl.
      ½ cup Domino® Golden Sugar, 2 tablespoons Arrowroot starch
    • Add the strawberries and stir so the berries are fully coated and add the vanilla; set aside.
      1 lbs Strawberries, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract

    Prepare cake:

    • Mix the egg, half the sour cream, and vanilla together in a medium bowl; set aside.
      1 large Egg, ½ cup Sour cream, 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla extract
    • Mix the flour, Domino® Golden Sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in the mixer.
      ¾ cup Domino® Golden Sugar, ¾ teaspoon Baking powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Sea salt, 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour
    • Add the remaining sour cream and butter to the flour and mix until just combined.
      ½ cup Sour cream, 9 tablespoons Unsalted butter
    • Slowly add egg mixture and mix until just combined. 
    • Spread the strawberries in an even layer in the prepared skillet, do not worry about arranging them in a pattern as long as they touch the edges of the pan. 
      1 lbs Strawberries
    • Drop the batter onto the strawberries, then gently spread evenly.
    • Bake for 35 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Allow to cool one minute, then run a knife around the edges and flip the pan over onto a plate to release the cake.

    Notes

    You can replace the vanilla extract in the strawberries with fresh vanilla beans for an even more delicious pop of flavor. 
    Adding lemon zest to either the strawberries or batter will also brighten the cake wonderfully

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sliceCalories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 187mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 392IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

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    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

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    Comments

    1. Shirley Tucker says

      May 02, 2021 at 11:50 am

      If I use the cake flour would I need to add the bacon soda baking patter in salt

      Reply
      • Amanda Powell says

        May 03, 2021 at 7:57 pm

        Sorry for the delay! If you are using cake flour, you still need to use baking soda and baking powder! Self-rising flour has all of that in it, but the cake flour does not.

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

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