5.24.18
Berry season is here. I’ve taken on the habit of thanking people for kind deeds with baked goods. Because no one is mad at baked goods. I put this strategy into motion a few weeks ago by wanting to make something easy and delicious to thank a friend. I began to research upside down cakes, and while the pineapple version is the most well known, almost any fruit is interchangeable. This was my fist time making a cake of this kind and….where have I been? This cake is fast, has one layer and is so tasty. If the temperatures are climbing and you’re trying to keep your time around a hot oven to a minimum, this blackberry walnut upside down cake (say that three times fast) may be the cake for you.
I was so happy with it I made it again (sans nuts) for a friend’s housewarming party. There is some homemade chai spice in the cake itself, and while I do believe chai spiced treats are best for the fall, in the end people still really enjoyed the cake. The spice evens out the berries, and ends up being perfect for those who want a little dessert but don’t have an epic sweet tooth. And if you’re still thinking, “But I don’t HAVE chai spice lying around,” or “I don’t wanna put chai spice in a spring dessert!” Then fine, have it your way and don’t. But might I suggest some lemon zest instead because oooohhh baby lemon zest makes everything better. And PS, you can google chai spice and make your own at home with spices you already have in your pantry. Don’t be a “chai” baby (hehe) about it, make this cake!
Blackberry Walnut Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
For the Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
For the Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp chai spice
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
For the Topping
- Pour melted butter into the bottom of a 9″ cake pan and swirl it around to make sure it covers the entire bottom of pan
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, cardamom and ginger, eliminating as many clumps as possible
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mix over bottom of cake pan
- Sprinkle blackberries over brown sugar, placing walnuts in any of the gaps between berries
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and chai, set aside
- In the bowl of a stand up mixer, using a paddle attachment cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes
- Add in egg, egg white and vanilla one at a time, allowing each to combine before adding the next
- Beginning with the flour, alternate adding in flour mix and milk, ending with flour as well
- Scrape down sides of the bowl and mix another 5 seconds to make sure it’s combined
- Pour batter evenly over topping
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, a tester in the middle of the cake should come out clean
- Allow to cool in pan 10-15 minutes, then place either a plate or cardboard cake round on top of pan and flip, inverting cake, replace any toppings that fall off
- Allow to full cool and enjoy
P.S.
*I made this without walnuts and it was still great, if you’re not a nut person, just eliminate them
