EASY ONE-BOWL CHERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Easy One-Bowl Cherry Upside-Down Cake image

Because it calls for frozen fruit, one bowl for mixing, and minimum kitchen equipment, this cake is a breeze for bakers of all levels. But you do need a cake pan with high sides; otherwise, it'll overflow.

Provided by Claire Saffitz

Categories Bon Appétit Dessert Cake Bake Cherry Sour Cream

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 lemon
2 (10-ounce) bags frozen sweet cherries or blueberries (no need to thaw)
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup sugar; plus more for serving
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups sour cream or whole plain yogurt, room temperature, divided
Special Equipment
1 (9-inch) round cake pan with sides that measure at least 1 1/2-inches high

Steps:

Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Take this time to assemble all your ingredients and do your prep. Melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter in small bowl in a microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat and let cool. Finely grate zest of whole lemon, then squeeze 2 Tbsp. juice; set aside.
Brush 1 Tbsp. melted butter around bottom and sides of cake pan (if you don't have a pastry brush, use your fingertips). Line bottom of pan with a circle of parchment paper, smoothing to eliminate air bubbles between parchment and pan. Making a parchment circle is easy: just place your pan on a piece of parchment, trace the circumference with a pencil, then cut it out.
Toss cherries, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp. melted butter in cake pan (fruit will clump up when it hits the melted butter, which is fine). It'll all melt together as it bakes.
Bake cherries, gently shaking pan once halfway through, until fruit juices are thick and bubbling around sides of pan, 40-50 minutes. Let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
Whisk 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, and 1 cup sugar in a large bowl.
Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Beat 3 eggs to blend and pour into center of well along with 1 cup sour cream, 2 tsp. lemon zest, and remaining 5 Tbsp. melted butter (it's okay if butter has re-solidified; go ahead and scrape it in there).
Starting in the center, whisk to blend egg mixture, then make larger circles outward to incorporate dry ingredients. Whisk several more times until batter is smooth.
Carefully dollop large spoonfuls of batter over fruit (it's okay if pan is still warm and some fruit juices pool around batter); gently smooth surface.
Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-55 minutes.
Let cake cool in pan 10 minutes, then use a paring knife to loosen cake from edge of pan.
Place a wire rack over pan, then swiftly invert rack and pan; cake should release from pan on its own. Lift cake pan off cake, peel off parchment, and marvel at your creation. If some of the cherries cling to the parchment, tuck them back into place. Let cake cool completely.
Whisk remaining 1 cup sour cream with 1-2 Tbsp. sugar in a large bowl. Dollop on each slice before serving.