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This blueberry upside down cake is soft and buttery, with a jammy blueberry topping! It’s easy to make and the perfect summer dessert!
For more blueberry cake recipes, head to my blueberry crumb cake and blueberry pound cake next!
This blueberry upside down cake is ridiculously good. It’s my pineapple upside down cake recipe … but make it into a blueberry cake instead. The top gets all jammy and caramelized with brown sugar and butter, and those juicy blueberries melt into every bite.
Don’t even get me started on the cake underneath! You’ve got the softest, most tender vanilla cake with a hint of lemon and a kiss of warm nutmeg. It’s the kind of dessert that makes people close their eyes after the first bite.
Best part? It’s super easy to make, impressive for dinner parties, but casual enough for a weekday dessert. It’s everything you want in a gorgeously soft and fruity cake.
Serve with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and it’s a home run!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Upside-Down Cake!
- Bursting with blueberry flavor! As the cake bakes, the blueberries turn jammy and fragrant!
- No stand mixer needed! This cake is SO easy to make. It looks fancy but comes together and bakes in just over an hour!
- Tender, plush crumb that melts in your mouth! The cake itself is buttery and delicious – it’s the perfect cake.
- Even better the next day! As the cake sits, the flavors come together and get even better!
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below)
- Fresh Blueberries are key to that beautiful jammy topping. As the cake bakes, the blueberries turn into a sweet, jammy layer that melds right into the cake. It’s perfection!
- Cake Flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour, which makes the cake tender and soft with a finer crumb. It helps balance the moisture from the blueberry topping so the cake doesn’t get too dense.
- Nutmeg adds a warm, slightly sweet spice that pairs beautifully with the blueberries and lemon. A small amount deepens the flavor without overpowering the fruit.
- Salted Butter adds richness, structure, and a touch of salt to balance the sweetness. When creamed with butter and sugar, it aerates the batter and create a light texture.
- Vegetable Oil adds extra moisture and ensures the cake stays soft and plush even after refrigerating. You can use vegetable oil or olive oil here.
- Sugar sweetens the cake but also helps with structure and browning. It contributes to a soft texture by tenderizing the gluten in the batter.
- Brown Sugar adds moisture and a rich, caramel-like flavor that pairs perfectly with the blueberries. The molasses in it also helps the topping stay gooey and slightly sticky, making that upside-down layer extra delicious.
- Lemon Zest brightens the flavor and complements the blueberries with a citrusy pop.
- Eggs and Egg Yolk provide structure, richness, and help bind the ingredients together. The extra yolk adds moisture, keeping the cake nice and plush.
- Buttermilk adds tang and helps tenderize the crumb thanks to its acidity. It reacts with baking soda or powder to give the cake lift, resulting in a soft, fluffy texture.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use a different berry! Raspberries, blackberries, and even strawberries work in place of the blueberries if you want to try something different!
- To make this recipe gluten free, use your favorite 1-to-1 gluten free flour.
- If you don’t have buttermilk, make your own buttermilk from scratch. Simply combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then voila! You’ve got buttermilk.
How To Make Blueberry Upside Down Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brush a 9×2 inch cake pan with butter, brushing the entire pan to ensure all of it is coated. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Now make the cake batter. Combine cake flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine room temperature butter, oil, lemon zest, and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat together for 2 minutes, until fully combined and pale in color. Add in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix for about 1 minute, until combined.
Step 3: Add half of the dry ingredients and mix. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until combined, about 10 seconds. Then, add the remainder of the flour mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms, about 15 seconds.
Step 4: Pour melted butter onto the bottom of the cake pan and sprinkle brown sugar on top.
Step 5: Add the blueberries on top of the sugar/butter mixture.
Step 6: then gently pour the batter on top of the blueberries. Smooth into an even layer. Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes. Use a butter knife to gently slide between the pan and the cake, then invert cake onto a wire rack. (there will be syrup that drips down, to prevent a mess, place the cooling rack onto a baking sheet to catch any drippage)
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream while still warm!
Pro Baking Tips
- Use a kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. This will allow for the most precise measurements, ensuring the success of the recipe. I highly recommend using digital scales in all baking recipes!
- After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for at least 8 minutes before inverting. This is crucial so that the cake doesn’t fall apart when inverting. It also helps the fruit layer to set and not fall apart when you flip it over.
- Use room temperature ingredients! This allows for the batter to come together seamlessly, ensuring the best texture!
- If the cake has domed in the center while baking, use a knife to flatten the top. This cake is baked at 325 degrees F instead of 350 for a more even, flat topped cake. However, if your oven runs hot, the cake will likely rise in the center. Make sure to cut off the domed top before inverting to prevent the cake from falling apart.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use frozen blueberries! And there’s no need to thaw them first. Thawed berries release too much juice, which can make the topping overly wet and affect the cake’s texture. Just plop the frozen blueberries into the prepared cake pan and pour the batter on top as per usual.
A 9×2 round cake pan is critical for the success of this recipe. You can also use a 9×9 square pan, but for best results, a round cake pan is preferred.
You don’t have to, but I recommend it to allow the cake to release more easily after flipping. Just cut a circle to fit the bottom of the pan and lightly grease the pan it to prevent sticking.
Yes! You can bake it a day in advance, just let it cool completely before covering and storing. The flavors actually deepen overnight, so it tastes even better the next day!
Store in an airtight container or cover the cake tightly and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can serve it cold or at room temperature.
More Cake Recipes
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Blueberry Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 9×2 Cake Pan
- Electric Mixer
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
- 2 cups Cake Flour
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 6 tbsp Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 3 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 2 large Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp Buttermilk, (room temperature)
Blueberry Topping
- 2 1/2 cups Blueberries, (washed and dried)
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter, (melted)
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brush a 9×2 inch cake pan with butter, brushing the entire pan to ensure all of it is coated. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Rinse off blueberries and pat them dry with a paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible.
- Now make the cake batter. Combine cake flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and kosher salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine room temperature butter, oil, lemon zest, and sugar. Use an electric hand mixer to beat together for 2 minutes, until fully combined and pale in color. Add in the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix for about 1 minute, until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix. Pour in the buttermilk and mix until combined, about 10 seconds. Then, add the remainder of the flour mixture and continue to mix until a smooth batter forms, about 15 seconds.
- Pour melted butter onto the bottom of the cake pan and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Add the blueberries on top of the sugar/butter mixture, then gently pour the batter on top of the blueberries. Smooth batter into an even layer, ensuring all of the blueberries are covered.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes.
- Use a butter knife to gently slide between the pan and the cake, then invert cake onto a wire rack. (there will be syrup that drips down, to prevent a mess, place the cooling rack onto a baking sheet to catch any drippage)
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream while still warm!
Notes
- After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for at least 8 minutes before inverting. This is crucial so that the cake doesn’t fall apart when inverting. It also helps the fruit layer to set and not fall apart when you flip it over.
- Use room temperature ingredients!
- If the cake has domed in the center while baking, use a knife to flatten the top. This cake is baked at 325 degrees F instead of 350 for a more even, flat topped cake. However, if your oven runs hot, the cake will likely rise in the center. Make sure to cut off the domed top before inverting to prevent the cake from falling apart.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure out the ingredients. This will allow for the most precise measurements, ensuring the success of the recipe. I highly recommend using digital scales in all baking recipes!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
