There’s so much goodness in this easy-peasy Strawberry Upside Down Cake! It’s packed with amazing fresh strawberry flavor, and the cake is moist, rich, and delicious. Not too sweet and easy to make, it’s no wonder everyone loves this cake!
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This has been one of my favorite cakes for a long while, and once the local strawberries come into season, I’m ready and eager to bake this cake. It’s moist, flavorful, and not too sweet, and it’s easy enough that I can make it whenever the craving strikes.
I love that this cake has big strawberry flavor in every bite. And the ripe berries help keep the cake moist for days, meaning we can all munch on it until there’s nothing but crumbs left on the plate.
What you’ll love about strawberry Upside Down Cake
- It’s a great use of fresh strawberries!
- Such an easy cake to make, and everyone loves it!
- It’s not too sweet and pairs deliciously with ice cream!
Ingredients
This is such an easy cake to make: just grab your stand or hand mixer, and you’ll be ready to go!
- Butter – I cook with salted butter because that’s what I buy. If you’re using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon more kosher salt to the recipe.
- Sugar – White granulated sugar.
- Strawberries – Washed, patted dry with paper towels, stems removed, and cut in half (or thirds if they’re really big).
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt – Use half as much salt if you’re using table salt.
- Eggs – You’ll need 2 eggs.
- Sour cream – Full fat adds richness to this cake, but low fat will also work.
- Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial extract is fine.
You’ll also Need:
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment – Or electric hand mixer.
- Spatula
- Baking pan – 8-inch square or round baking pan is perfect.
How To Make The Best Strawberry Upside Down Cake
For a full list of ingredients and instructions, please scroll down to the recipe near the bottom of this page.
- Preheat your oven to 350-F.
- Butter the cake pan, then sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1/4 cup of the sugar. You can tilt the pan around to get an even layer of sugar.
- Arrange the strawberries in the bottom of the pan, with the uncut side facing up. The strawberries should be close and overlapping a bit.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the remaining butter and remaining sugar in a bowl with your stand mixer and paddle attachment or with a hand mixer. Beat until fluffy and lighter in color.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, sour cream, and
vanilla extract . - Add the flour mixture in thirds, mixing well in between and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the cake batter gently over the top of the strawberries, being careful not to jiggle them around too much.
- Bake the cake for about 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean (a few clinging crumbs are OK).
- Cool the cake in the pan until it is very nearly room temperature, then place an inverted plate over the top of the cake pan and carefully turn the cake over and out onto the plate.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Ripe strawberries are perfect in this Strawberry Upside Down Cake, but overripe berries will disintegrate when cooking. The berries should be red and firm and not squishy.
- You can prep the strawberries ahead of time and pop them into the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
- You can use cooking spray instead of butter to butter the pan, but the butter and sugar will help caramelize the strawberries making them oh-so-tasty!
- Serve this tasty cake after a meal of Blackstone chicken fried rice or your favorite main dish!
Recommended
How Do You Know When The Cake Is Done?
Many people say that a cake is done when an inserted toothpick (or skewer) comes out clean. But to me, and all my billion years of cooking and baking, a clean toothpick is an overcooked cake! I like to cook my cakes until there are still a few clingy crumbs on the toothpick. This means it is moist, and any carryover cooking will finish the cake to perfection. Just make sure you insert the toothpick into the middle of the cake and go down about halfway through the cake.
Can You Use Frozen Strawberries For Strawberry Upside Down Cake?
No. Frozen strawberries have too much water content and not enough structure to hold up to the baking of this cake. Fresh strawberries are the way to go.
Serving Suggestions
This tasty strawberry cake recipe is pretty darn good all on its own, but a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream will put it over the top! Serve this cake on its own, or put out various desserts if you’re hosting a gathering.
Step By Step Process
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, plus a bit extra for the pan softened
- 1 cup sugar divided
- 3 cups strawberries washed, dried, hulled, and cut in half from stem to tip.
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350-F.
- Butter the cake pan with some butter, then sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 1/4 cup of the sugar. You can tilt the pan around to get an even layer of sugar.
- Arrange the strawberries in the bottom of the pan, with the uncut side facing up. The strawberries should be close and even overlapping if you can manage it.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
- Beat the remaining butter and remaining sugar in a bowl with your stand mixer and paddle attachment or with a hand mixer. Beat until fluffy and lighter in color.
- Beat in the egg, egg yolk, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour mixture in thirds, mixing well in between and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour the cake batter gently over the top of the strawberries, being careful not to jiggle them around too much.
- Bake the cake for about 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out almost clean (a few clinging crumbs are OK).
- Cool the cake in the pan until it is very nearly room temperature, then place an inverted plate over the top of the cake pan and carefully turn the cake over and out onto the plate.
- Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- Ripe strawberries are perfect in this Strawberry Upside Down Cake, but overripe berries will disintegrate when cooking. The berries should be red and firm and not squishy.
- You can prep the strawberries ahead of time and pop them into the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
- You can use cooking spray instead of butter to butter the pan, but the butter and sugar will help caramelize the strawberries making them oh-so-tasty!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
