This cake looks super fancy and complicated, but is secretly simple. Made with box cake mix and requiring no frosting this recipe will impress your guests with minimal effort. The most challenging part of this cake is slicing and arranging the strawberries.
I love fruit, especially berries, so I’m always finding ways to incorporate them into my baking. For this recipe I wanted to highlight the beauty of the berries and also not smother them in too much sugar or frosting. Using the ‘upside down’ cake method I was able to keep the integrity of the strawberries and create a beautiful cake while also eliminating the need for a frosting. Mixing some berries into the cake also filled out the cake flavor and made it rich and moist. The final product is a decadent very berry cake that’s not too sweet and a perfect dessert for a spring or summer meal or even for breakfast with a cup of coffee.
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 38 oz Strawberries (2 Containers)
- 1 box Duncan Heinz Super Moist Cake Mix or cake mix of choice + ingredients to complete mix
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or as directed on cake mix)
- Remove tops of strawberries and thinly slice lengthwise.
- In a small saucepan on the stove heat the butter on low heat. Once the butter has melted, add the sugar and stir it gently.
- Lightly spray the sides of your springform pan with cooking spray and then line the bottom of the pan with an even layer of the sugar and butter mixture
- To create the beautiful round strawberry ‘flower’ or ‘spiral’ begin in the middle of the pan, lining up the strawberry slices in a star shape initially. Continue layering on top of this initial layer moving out about 1 inch with each additional layer. Try to cover all of the bottom of the pan with strawberries so none of the butter and sugar mixture is visible.Remember this is an upside down cake, so the the berry pattern you will see when the cake is finished is currently facing the bottom of the pan.
If the spiral shape is too cumbersome, simply lining up the slices in the bottom of the pan will still create a beautiful cake, just be sure to adequately cover the butter and sugar mixture.
- Finely dice the remaining strawberries
- In a small saucepan add remaining strawberries and ¼ cup water and allow it to come to a simmer. Continue to stir and allow to simmer until strawberries breakdown and mixture thickens to a sauce-like consistency.
- While the berries are cooking prepare the cake mix per the directions on the box
- When the berry sauce is finished combine half the mixture with the cake mix. This should be about a ½ cup or so. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving with the finished cake as a garnish or topping.
- Carefully spoon the cake mix on top of the berries in the springform pan
- Bake in the oven per the directions on the box for a ‘bundt’ pan or for the large single cake pan. The cake will take a bit longer to cook as its in one pan rather than two. Cooking time should be 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- If you are using a springform pan that tends to leak or doesn't have a leak guard place on a baking sheet so that any liquid doesn't leak out and burn in the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool until its about lukewarm and any fruit that has leaked out of the sides has stopped bubbling. Do not let the cake cool all the way or you might not be able to get it out of the pan. Run a knife around the edges of the cake and release the latch on the pan
- Place your cake plate on the cake and, using oven mitts if still warm, carefully flip the cake over. Gently remove the bottom of the springform pan from the cake. Be careful, as the fruit and glaze may be warm and is delicate.
- The cake should be ready to slice and serve. Cut and serve with whipped cream and some of the reserved strawberry sauce!
