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“I have been making this recipe ever since I found it and it is sooooo good!!” ~Ruthie
Fresh fruit is amazing, for sure, but something magical happens to it when goes in the oven…and just between you and me, if I have to choose, I’d go for the baked stuff every time. But don’t take my word for it, taste this apricot upside down cake for yourself!Â
Here’s the interesting thing…I made my cake with early season apricots. I snacked on them as I was pitting and halving the fruit for the pan, and they were meh at best. They were ripe, but didn’t have hardly any flavor, and they definitely weren’t sweet or juicy. I began to wonder if I was wasting my time.
But what happened next is pretty amazing… that mediocre fruit that goes into the oven, comes out bursting with tart apricot flavor. It’s something to remember the next time you get a hold of so-so fruit.
If you’ve never made an upside down cake, don’t be intimidated, they aren’t hard to do at all. A simple non stick cake pan is all you need to accomplish this pretty effect. And it’s not just pretty, it’s sooooo good. The apricots are soft, juicy, and tart, and the cake is very soft, too, so they almost melt into each other.
I’ve done this before with a Caramelized Plum Upside Down Cake from way back in 2013. That cake is just as delicious, in case you happen to have plums and not apricots handy. I think any stone fruit would work in this upside down cake, even cherries (pit them but keep them whole.)
The process is so simple, and even fun to do…just halve the fruit and pull out the pit. Butter a cake pan and arrange the fruit, cut side down, to completely fill the bottom of the pan. The cut side of the fruit will be what shows when you flip the cake over after it’s been baked.
But the drama of this wonderful apricot upside down cake happens when you drench the apricot halves in a boiling hot caramel syrup. When the cake is flipped over you’ll see the glorious caramelized fruit topping with a sauce that’s begun to infiltrate the cake in parts. So good.
This cake works particularly well with apricots, which have a natural tartness that literally bursts in your mouth with every bite. Of all the stone fruits apricots are one of the best for baking because of that strong flavor, and also because they aren’t overly watery to begin with, so they bake up with the perfect juiciness without making the cake soggy.
what we love about this easy summer cake
The cake slices easily and cleanly, it’s almost like gliding your knife through butter, which makes it a great choice for entertaining.
This apricot upside down cake goes well with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream, or creme fraiche if you really want to be elegant. But honestly it’s perfect all by itself, and makes a perfect breakfast with a cup of coffee.
other stone fruit recipes to try
- Peach Cobbler with Cinnamon Swirl Biscuits
- Habanero Nectarine Jam
- Dorie Greenspan’s Dimply Plum Cake
- Ripe Peach Popsicles
- Fresh Peach Lemonade
- Roasted Plums with Ice Cream
Caramelized Apricot Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch round cake pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound small apricots, pitted and halved (you may need more, depending on size of the fruit. You will need enough halves to cover the bottom of your pan
for the caramel:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
for the cake:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 Tbsp butter, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp vanilla paste , or extract
- 1 cup (plus 2 Tbsp.) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease a non-stick 9 inch round cake pan.
- Slice the apricots in half and remove the pits. Arrange the fruit, cut side down, on the bottom of the pan. Fit the fruit in as tightly as you can, without crushing it. It's fine if there are small spaces in between.
- Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir to combine and heat to a boil. Without stirring, boil until the syrup thickens and turn a nice golden amber color. Pour the caramel over the apricots, and be careful, this liquid is very hot and can burn you.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the sour cream and vanilla.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together and add to the wet ingredients. Mix just until they are combined.
- Spread the batter over the apricots and smooth out evenly. Try not to disturb the apricots too much.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. I like to place a baking sheet under the pan to catch any potential drips.
- Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes, and then flip it over. The best way to do this is to cover the top of the pan with a plate, and then in one swift move flip the whole thing over. Lift the pan gently. If any of the fruit comes dislodged, just patch it back together.
- The cake can be serves warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Make it with other fruit ~ peaches, nectarines, cherries, apples…
Nutrition
Will substituting buttermilk for the sour cream cause the cake to be soggy?
I would stick to sour cream, or maybe yogurt, to keep the consistency the same.
It’s very delicious! But I’ve made this recipe 3 times and don’t understand what I’ve done wrong? A lot of liquid from apricots made dough boiled but not baked
I was wondering if this cake freezes well?? We’ve got a lot of stone fruit. Any recommendations of freezable recipes?
While freezing may alter the texture of the fruit layer slightly, the overall taste and quality of the cake should remain relatively intact. Cakes and quick breads made with chopped fruit freeze very well, and stone fruit jams and butters freeze great, too.
Can I use tinned fruit? ?
Yes, that will work.