Description
Diving into Upside Down Chocolate Cake feels like unwrapping a delicious surprise that melts right into your taste buds. Sweet cherries nestled in rich chocolate create a simple dessert that makes your dinner guests ask for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups cherries
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
Supporting Ingredients:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Seasoning and Leavening:
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot water
Instructions
- Warm your oven to 350F and coat a 9-inch round cake pan generously with non-stick spray.
- Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter into the pan and sprinkle ½ cup brown sugar across the bottom. Distribute 2 cups of cherries evenly over the sugary surface.
- Combine 1 cup flour, ½ cup cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Whisk ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup vegetable oil, 2 eggs, ½ cup buttermilk, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract until the mixture becomes smooth and well-blended.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, stirring carefully until just incorporated.
- Gently stream ½ cup hot water into the batter, mixing until the liquid is completely absorbed. Your batter will look thin – this is perfectly normal.
- Carefully pour chocolate batter over the cherry layer, ensuring an even distribution.
- Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center.
- Remove from oven and let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes to help set the cherry layer.
- Place a serving plate over the pan and swiftly invert the cake, allowing the cherry topping to settle onto the plate. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Picking ripe, fresh cherries makes a huge difference in the cake’s flavor and overall sweetness.
- When mixing the batter, stop stirring as soon as ingredients are combined to keep the cake tender and light.
- Let the cake cool completely before inverting to ensure the cherry topping stays beautifully intact.
- Use a springform pan if your cake tends to stick, which helps release the delicate caramelized cherry layer smoothly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 273 kcal
- Sugar: 29 g
- Sodium: 167 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg