This blackberry upside down cake starts with a thick, jammy layer of blackberries baked in butter and brown sugar. The cake is moist and tender flavored with lemon zest, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste (this combination rocks). Once inverted, the cake reveals a glossy fruit topping that is sweet, tart, with a beautiful purple glow.
Why I Wanted to Make This Cake
I’ve been wanting to make a blackberry upside down cake for a while. I love fruit-based desserts, and blackberries are one of my favorite ingredients to bake with especially during late summer when they’re perfectly ripe. I have other blackberry desserts like blackberry galette and blackberry hand pies, but in this upside down cake recipe the berries truly shine on top.
Oregon blackberries are some of the best you can find. In fact, Oregon produces 95% of the frozen blackberries in the United States, which means I get to work with incredible fruit that’s both fresh and flavorful.
This cake came together after a few rounds of testing. My goal was to highlight the blackberries without overpowering them with sugar, and to create a cake that was soft, tender, and packed with flavor.
What Makes This Blackberry Upside Down Cake Different
This isn’t just an ordinary upside down cake with fruit layered on top. I wanted to develop a cake with lots of flavor that brings out the best in the blackberries and creates a cake that’s soft, delicious, and well-balanced:
- Layers of flavor: Lemon zest adds a bright citrusy floral note. Cinnamon tastes amazing with blackberries. For me it adds an earthy sweetness and depending on what type of cinnamon you use, it can also add a little heat. And vanilla adds a floral sweet aroma that rounds everything out.
- Perfectly sweet fruit topping: After testing with higher amounts of sugar, I settled on using just 1/2 cup of brown sugar. It’s enough to caramelize and create that glossy berry layer, but not so much that it overshadows the natural sweet-tart flavor of the blackberries.
- Soft, moist crumb: Full-fat sour cream makes the cake soft and moist without it being too dense.
Key Ingredients for This Fruity Upside Down Cake
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- Fresh Blackberries: This cake can only be made with fresh blackberries. Make sure to taste your fruit before you start this recipe. If the berries are very tart, you may want to add about 2 tablespoons of sugar. Frozen blackberries will create too much liquid as it bakes possibly resulting in the portion of the cake directly under the berries being a little underdone. Thawed berries would be too soft and result in a mushy layer of fruit.
- Full-Fat Sour Cream: I love using sour cream in cakes. It adds moisture, but also gives the cake crumb a tender plush texture. Do not use light or reduced fat sour cream for the best results.
- Spices and Flavorings: The combination of lemon zest, ground cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste really give this cake it's unique flavor, so try not to leave out any of these ingredients. You can use vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla bean paste.
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Blackberry Upside Down Cake
Before you start baking make sure you have a cake pan that is 9x2-inches. It will need to be at least 2-inches deep to accommodate the fruit and the cake batter.
Step 1: Melt the butter and pour it into a parchment-lined cake pan.
Step 2: Spread the brown sugar over the melted butter.
Step 3: Arrange the blackberries in a spiral pattern over the brown sugar butter mixture.
Step 4: Zest the lemon on top of the sugar in the mixing bowl.
Step 5: Add the butter to the sugar-lemon mixture and mix on medium speed.
Step 6: Beat in the eggs one at time until thoroughly combined.
Step 7: Alternate the addition of the flour mixture and the sour cream, ending with the flour.
Step 8: Add the batter in dollops on top of the blackberries in the cake pan.
Step 9: Smooth the batter with offset spatula.
Step 10: Bake the cake until a cake tester comes out clean or the internal temperature registers 200-205°F in the center.
Step 11: Cool the cake for 10 minutes then invert it onto a plate or a platter.
This cake tastes amazing on its own, but I also love it with whipped cream or creme fraiche.
What to Know Before You Bake
Even if you’re comfortable in the kitchen, a few strategic choices will make a big difference with this cake:
- Don’t skip the parchment: One of the most common issues with upside down cakes is the fruit sticking to the pan. That’s why I grease and flour the pan and line the bottom with parchment. This combo gives you a clean release every time—no stuck berries or torn topping.
- Use the right pan: This recipe was tested in a 9x2-inch cake pan. Many pans are only 1-1/2 inches tall, which isn’t enough room for the fruit and batter to rise properly. Also, avoid dark or shiny pans: dark pans can cause the cake or fruit to burn, while overly bright pans can prevent the center from baking through.
- Stick with fresh fruit: This is a summer recipe, meant for fresh blackberries. Frozen berries release too much liquid and can throw off the texture and structure of the cake.
- It’s flexible: You can easily swap in other summer fruits like blueberries or cherries. If you go the cherry route, I recommend adding ½ teaspoon of almond extract to the batter, it pairs beautifully.
This recipe is approachable for beginners but satisfying enough for experienced bakers looking for something seasonal, fruit-forward, and balanced.
If you make this berry upside down cake please leave a rating and a comment below.
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Blackberry Upside Down Cake (with Cinnamon & Vanilla)
Equipment
- 9x2-inch Round Cake Pan
Ingredients
Cake Pan Prep
- 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Blackberry Topping
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
- 800 grams (5-1/2 cups) fresh blackberries divided
Cake
- 1-1/2 cups +1 tablespoon (195 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 grams) lemon zest
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 large (100 grams) eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) full-fat sour cream room temperature
Instructions
Prepare Cake Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x2-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Make the Blackberry Topping
- Melt the butter and pour it into the cake pan, tilting the pan to spread the butter evenly across the bottom. Sprinkle the brown sugar across the bottom and try to create an even layer. Lightly press the sugar into the butter.
- Take 500 grams of the blackberries (about 2 pints) and add them to the pan one at a time in a spiral pattern, starting at the outer edge of the pan and working toward the center. Reserve the rest of the blackberries for arranging on top of the baked cake.
Make the Cake Batter
- Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together.
- Place the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Zest the lemon directly into the sugar. Add the butter and vanilla bean paste. Beat on medium speed with the paddle attachment until creamy and lighter in color, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until well combined. Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until flour is just mixed in. Do not over mix. Add half of the sour cream, beat until combined. Add half of the remaining flour and mix on low until just combined. Scrape any flour that is on the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining sour cream, mix on low and then add the remaining flour and mix on low until combined. Scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl and mix on low speed for another 10-20 seconds to make sure everything is well combined.
- Add the cake batter on top of the blackberries in dollops. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the cake batter across the berries, being careful not to disturb the fruit arrangement.
Bake the Cake
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes. The temperature of the cake in the center should be about 200-205°F. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the parchment paper if it sticks to the cake. If any berries stick to the parchment paper, pull them off and add it back to the cake.
Serving the Cake
- Serve warm or at room temperature. The cake itself is amazing, also tastes great with lightly sweetened whipped cream or crème fraiche. I
- If decorating the top of the cake with fresh blackberries cool the cake to room temperature before adding the fresh blackberries.
Storing the Cake
- The cake is good at room temperature for 1-2 days in a covered cake container. If your kitchen is warm (above 70°F) store it at room temperature for 1 day. It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. To refrigerate the cake cover it with plastic wrap or store it in a cake container.
Lenore Litwin says
Absolutely delicious cake! The spices really make the blackberries sing, and the cake top is so pretty! Thank you Cheryl.