Juicy Blueberry Upside Down Cake (Printable)

Moist vanilla cake with caramelized blueberry topping. A luscious summer dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Blueberry Topping

01 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 cups fresh blueberries or frozen, thawed and drained
04 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Cake Batter

05 - 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 large eggs
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 1/2 cup sour cream
14 - 2 tablespoons milk

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
02 - Pour melted butter into the prepared pan bottom. Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Distribute blueberries over the sugar and drizzle with lemon juice.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
04 - Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
05 - Blend in half of the dry ingredients, then add sour cream and milk. Stir in remaining dry ingredients until just combined; avoid overmixing.
06 - Spoon batter evenly over the blueberry layer and smooth the top. Bake for 35–40 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, place a serving plate over the pan, and invert to release. Remove parchment paper and cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The blueberries become jammy and concentrated while baking creating pockets of intense fruit flavor that balance the tender vanilla cake
  • It looks stunning straight from the pan with that glossy fruit top but requires zero fancy decorating skills or piping bags
  • You can serve it warm with ice cream for dessert or cold with coffee for breakfast because who makes the rules anyway
02 -
  • Wait the full 10 minutes before flipping or the cake will fall apart but don't wait longer than 15 or the caramel will harden and stick
  • The parchment paper is non-negotiable here because the fruit caramel creates a sticky situation that regular greasing can't handle
03 -
  • Don't overmix the batter or your cake will be tough instead of tender some lumps are totally fine
  • Place the cake pan on a baking sheet in the oven because fruit juices sometimes bubble over and make a mess

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