There is a real magic in an upside-down cake. It feels nostalgic, yet this variation with cherries feels current, striking, and incredibly impressive. These very special cherries from Hood River Cherry Co. become jammy and their juices caramelize with the brown sugar and melted butter at the bottom of the skillet while the cake bakes, creating this shining, ruby red, mosaic that reveals itself only when you flip it over. It's total magic to me. And believe it or not, it's a lot easier to bake than you think.
Our vanilla cake is the perfect foundation for this recipe. We add sour cream along with lemon zest and almond extract, which only amplifies the flavor of the cherries. And the cake absorbs the caramel from the bottom of the pan, giving you this beautiful chew at the edges and the fluffy, craveable vanilla cake you know and love from Wild Rye.
I love how rustic this is baked in a cast iron skillet, but you're welcome to use a 9 or 10 inch round cake pan if you prefer. Serve it warm, with a big spoonful of fresh whipped cream or crème fraîche, or go classic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Happy Baking!
The Recipe
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients:
The Cherry Layer
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
A generous pinch of kosher salt
14 ounces fresh Hood River cherries, pitted and halved
The Cake
1 box Wild Rye Vanilla Cake Mix
3 large eggs
1/2 cup neutral oil
3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon almond extract
Softly whipped cream or crème fraîche, for serving
Instructions:
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Heat the oven to 350°F.
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Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10 inch round cast iron skillet.
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Pour the melted butter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar and salt evenly over the butter.
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Arrange the cherries over the brown sugar mixture, placing most of them cut side down. They do not need to be perfect, but try to keep them in a fairly even layer, keeping them very close together.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, sour cream, buttermilk, lemon zest, and almond extract.
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Add the Wild Rye Vanilla Cake and mix just until the batter is smooth and fully combined. The batter should be thick enough to spoon and spread.
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Pour the batter gently over the cherries. Spread it carefully into an even layer, trying not to disturb the fruit underneath.
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Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the cake is deeply golden, the center springs back when lightly touched, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
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Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
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Run a small knife around the edge of the cake. Place a serving plate over the pan, then carefully turn the cake out onto the plate.
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Lift away the pan and gently peel off the parchment. If any cherries stay behind, simply place them back on the cake.
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Serve warm or at room temperature with softly whipped cream or crème fraîche.
Notes
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can bake this cake in a 9x3 or 10x3 inch round. Butter the pan generously and line the bottom with a round of parchment before building the cherry layer.
