Strawberry Upside Down Cake

by Sabrina Snyder

Last Update:

8 Comments

5 from 3 votes
12 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Cooling Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
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Strawberry Upside Down Cake is an easy and delicious summertime cake that is sure to impress your guests with its presentation and flavor.

Fresh ripe strawberries are an easy way to give Pineapple Upside Down Cake a bright, fruity twist. This sweet berry cake is sure to be one of your new favorite summer Cake Recipes, and I have Cranberry Upside Down Cake for the Holidays too!

slice of fruit cake on white place
collage of finished cake and slice of cake
side view of cake with piece missing
Recipe Snapshot

Why You’ll Love This Cake?

  • Tender vanilla cake topped with a caramelized strawberry topping makes the perfect summer dessert.
  • Upside-down cake looks impressive enough for a special occasion, but it is so simple to make!

Sabrina’s Strawberry Upside Down Cake Recipe

Pineapple Upside Down Cake is probably the most well-known old fashioned cake. Upside down cakes, also known as skillet cakes, have been around for centuries. Baking a moist cake over fresh fruit and then inverting it has been an easy way to get a stunning cake long before Dole introduced us to canned pineapple slices. One of the best things about upside down cakes is that you can make them year-round with whatever ripe seasonal fruit you have on hand. This cake is perfect for when plump, juicy strawberries are on sale all summer long.

Recipe Card

Dinner, then Dessert

Strawberry Upside Down Cake Recipe

Strawberry Upside Down Cake is an easy and delicious summertime cake that is sure to impress your guests with its presentation and flavor.
Yield 12 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Sabrina Snyder
slice of fruit cake on white place
PrintRate

Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 cups fresh strawberries , sliced

Cake Batter:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter , melted
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a springform pan with baking spray.
  • Toss strawberries in cornstarch and ½ cup sugar.
  • Spread strawberry mixture evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan.

Cake Batter:

  • In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until lightened in color, then add in the eggs one at a time.
  • In a large measuring cup whisk together milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil.
  • Sift flour, baking powder then add half into the stand mixer on the lowest speed setting.
  • Add half the milk mixture, then repeat the process with the remaining flour and milk mixtures, until just combined.
  • Carefully pour the cake batter over the sliced strawberries.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool cake for 5 minutes. Place an inverted cake plate over the top of the pan then, holding plate against the pan, quickly flip the cake.
  • Allow to cool another 10-15 minutes before carefully removing from the pan. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 2mg

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Note from Sabrina

I like to pick up strawberries from my local farmers market when they are in season because they always help set this cake’s flavor over the top. But if it’s not strawberry season, and you are still craving this cake, you can absolutely use frozen strawberries instead! Just be sure to thaw the berries and pat them dry. Too much moisture will make the topping syrupy and not get caramel coated like you are expecting.

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About this Recipe

This recipe seems like a lot of ingredients and steps, but it’s actually very simple. When you break it down, it’s basically a quick strawberry topping mixture and a vanilla cake batter layered and baked in the same pan. The total time to make Strawberry Upside Down Cake, from gathering ingredients to enjoying it with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, is just over an hour and half. 

What is Upside Down Cake?

An upside-down cake is a type of cake that is baked with its toppings at the bottom of the pan. The ingredients for the topping, which often include fruits and a sugar glaze, are layered in the bottom of the cake pan before the batter is poured over them. After the cake is baked, it is inverted onto a serving plate so that the fruit and sugar topping, now caramelized and glossy, is on top. The most well-known version is Pineapple Upside Down Cake, but you can really do it with any kind of fruit you like.

Ingredients

  • Sugar: Sugar plays a double role in this sweet summer cake. It coats the strawberries to draw out the juices and caramelizes as it bakes. It also sweetens and moistens the actual cake.
  • Corn Starch: Cornstarch is needed to thicken the strawberry juices and sugar to prevent the cake from becoming soggy.
  • Strawberries: Fresh summer strawberries have a sweet and slightly tart flavor that contrasts nicely with the sweetness of the tender sponge cake. Their bright red color is beautiful too!
  • Eggs and Butter: Creaming the eggs and butter together gives the cake some extra lift and helps it stay soft and moist. They also give the cake a rich, buttery flavor that tastes amazing with the berries.
  • Vegetable Oil: Using oil along with butter and milk helps your cake stay moist as it cools and will keep it fresh longer.
  • Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds a subtle sweet, warm flavor to the cake. Vanilla and strawberry is a simple, classic combination and with all the rich, creamy ingredients it makes the cake taste a little like berries and cream.
  • Flour: It’s better to use regular flour for this cake because cake flour is too light to hold up with all the heavy ingredients and will give you a denser cake.
  • Baking Powder: There is a lot of moisture happening in this cake from the eggs, butter, milk, oil, and the strawberry juices, so you definitely want to use a good amount of baking powder. A full tablespoon makes your cake much lighter and fluffier despite all the rich, heavy ingredients.

Can this be made ahead of time?

Yes, a Strawberry Upside Down Cake can be made ahead of time. After baking and cooling, it can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerated for up to a week. If refrigerated, allow the cake to reach room temperature before serving for the best flavor and texture. You can also mix the strawberry topping together and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days. Stir it really well before adding to the pan then prepare the rest of the cake as usual.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

  • Spray a springform pan really well with baking spray. You can also use regular cooking spray and dust it lightly with flour.
  • Make sure to sift the flour to remove the clumps so it mixes easier.
  • Slice your strawberries uniformly so that they cook evenly.

Pairing Suggestions

This Strawberry Upside Down Cake is gorgeous and tasty on its own, but you can serve it with Whipped Cream or pipe Buttercream Frosting on the edges once it has cooled. For the brightest strawberry topping, serve your cake within 30 minutes of baking. Baked fruit tends to lose color over time, but it definitely won’t lose any of the delicious flavor!

How to Store

  • Serve: Strawberry Upside Down Cake is best served warm. Cover the cake and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • Store: Refrigerate the cake covered in plastic wrap, or in an airtight container, for up to 1 week. Warm in the oven or bring to room temperature before serving.
  • Freeze: Cool the cake completely and wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator before warming a little in the oven before serving.

Alternative Cooking Techniques

Skillet Cooking Method

  • Grease a 10-12 inch skillet and add a parchment paper circle at bottom of pan.
  • Spray the parchment paper with baking spray and add the strawberries.
  • Carefully add the batter on top of the strawberries.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Let the cake rest for 10-15 minutes before flipping it onto a platter.

Slow Cooker Method

  • Grease the inside of the Slow Cooker.
  • Place the strawberries in the bottom of the insert.
  • Make the batter but reduce the milk from 1 cup to ½ cup and the oil from ½ cup to ¼ cup.
  • Pour the batter over the strawberries and cook on High for 2-2.5 hours or Low for 4-5 hours.
  • It is best to not try and flip this cake if you used this method and just scoop it out into a bowl and enjoy.

Frequent Questions

When should you flip an upside down cake?

An upside-down cake should be flipped shortly after it is removed from the oven, ideally within the first 5 to 10 minutes. This is because the topping can stick to the pan as it cools and solidifies, making it difficult to remove cleanly. However, ensure to use oven mitts or a towel when flipping the hot cake to avoid burns. 

How do I know when Strawberry Upside Down Cake is done baking?

Strawberry Upside Down Cake is going to be more moist than your normal vanilla sponge cake. To tell when it’s done, use the toothpick method. When you insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, about halfway down, it should come out clean with moist crumbs and no wet batter.

Variations

  • Chocolate: Use Chocolate Cake batter instead of vanilla cake for a chocolate-covered strawberry taste. You can also fold in a ½ cup milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, or white chocolate chips.
  • Marshmallows: A layer of mini marshmallows over the strawberries will create pockets in the cake as it bakes for the glaze seep into. Use half the sugar in the strawberry mixture if adding marshmallows.
  • Berries: This upside down cake can be made with all your favorite fresh berries. Try blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or use 4 cups mixed berries.
  • Jell-O: Sprinkle a package of dry strawberry jello mix over the strawberries. This not only adds flavor, but keeps the topping bright red for days!
  • Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake: For a classic strawberry pairing, substitute 1 cup peeled and cubed rhubarb for 1 cup strawberries.
  • Cupcakes: Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with baking spray. Divide strawberry mixture and cake batter evenly. Bake for 25-28 minutes.
  • Sheet Cake: Line with parchment paper and grease well with baking spray. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Cake Mix Strawberry Upside Down Cake

  • Substitute an 18.25 ounce box of cake mix for the dry ingredients. Use vanilla or yellow cake, or try strawberry cake mix.
  • For the wet ingredients, use 4 eggs, 1 cup melted butter, and 1 ¼ cup milk.
  • Prepare strawberry mixture and place in bottom of the pan.
  • In a medium bowl, combine cake mix and wet ingredients.
  • Spread cake batter over strawberries and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

More Summer Cake Recipes

cake pin image

Photos used in previous posts:

Strawberry Cake Pinterest collage

About the Author: Sabrina Snyder

Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.

Sabrina Snyder is a professionally trained personal and private chef of over 10 years who is the creator and developer of all the recipes on Dinner, then Dessert.

She is also the author of the cookbook Dinner, then Dessert – Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5 or 7 Ingredients, published by Harper Collins.

She started Dinner, then Dessert as a business in her office as a lunch service for her coworkers who admired her lunches before going to culinary school and becoming a full time personal chef and private chef.

As a personal chef Sabrina would cook for families one day a week and cook their entire week of dinners. All grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning was done along with instructions on reheating. As a private chef she cooked for private parties and cooked in family homes in the evenings for families on a nightly basis after working as a personal chef during the day.

Sabrina has been certified as a ServSafe Manager since 2007 and was a longstanding member of the USPCA Personal Chef Association including being on the board of the Washington DC Chapter of Chefs in the US Personal Chef Association when they won Chapter of the year.

As a member of the community of food website creators Sabrina Snyder has spoken at many conferences regarding her experiences as a food writer including the Indulge Food Conference, Everything Food Conference, Haven Food Conference and IACP Annual Food Professionals Conference.

Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.

See more posts by Sabrina

Dinner, then Dessert, Inc. owns the copyright on all images and text and does not allow for its original recipes and pictures to be reproduced anywhere other than at this site unless authorization is given. Read my disclosure and copyright policy. This post may contain affiliate links.

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Comments

  1. HELP! I just attempted to make this for my daughter’s birthday and ran into some trouble. What size is the pan supposed to be? I used a 9″ round springform and the top and sides got cooked quickly but the middle didn’t cook. Even though the toothpick came out clean, the cake was raw on the inside when I inverted it. Also, can you give some details on when / how to remove the cake from the pan? Should it cool completely first? Definitely going to try again!

    Reply

    1. I am so sorry, I am just seeing this tonight. I am sure the recipe has long been cooked/or not but I still want to try to help.

      If you have problems with the removal I would make sure to butter and flour the pan well or spray with baking spray. Did it cook up evenly or was there a hump in the center? would love to troubleshoot with you, I love this recipe.

      Reply