Nectarine Upside-Down Cake
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Moist, tender cake with ripe, juicy nectarines or peaches! So pretty and so good. Bonus: the caramelized edges!
why i love this recipe
- Summer goodness. This nectarine cake just screams all the goodness of summer – the absolute perfect and quintessential summer treat. Grab a plate, grab a few slices, and top that bad boy off with some vanilla ice cream.
- No mixer needed. Nope, a mixer is not needed here! It’s such an easy cake batter mix, using up all that fresh summer fruit as needed. Don’t have a cake pan? No worries. A cast iron skillet can be used instead.
- Corner pieces win all. The nectarines get wonderfully caramelized around those edges with their amazing juices dripping down the sides as the buttery cake just soaks it all in.
- Great for entertaining. The cake tastes as good as it looks, and it makes for a stunning centerpiece for all your summer entertaining. And don’t worry, flipping the cake over is easier than you think, promise. We included some no-fail tips below.
- Freezer-friendly. Did you know this upside-down cake freezes like a dream? That means we can still have the most lovely summertime nectarine cake even in the dead of winter. Yes, please!
what exactly is an upside-down cake
An upside-down cake is a cake typically made with fruit toppings on the bottom of the cake pan, which is then flipped over once baked. This creates that favorited caramelized layer of fruit on the top of the cake. The most popular version of an upside-down cake is a classic pineapple cake but a variety of fruit can also be used.
how to make an easy nectarine upside-down cake
- Whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
- Whisk together all of the wet ingredients.
- Stir the wet to dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula and working carefully not to overmix.
- Generously butter the bottom of the cake pan or cast iron skillet, making sure to get the sides as well to ensure that the cake does not stick when flipping.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar in an even layer – this is key for that caramelized goodness.
- Arrange the nectarine or peach slices, making sure there are no gaps between the slices.
- Add the finishing touches and top it off with the cake batter, smoothing out the top.
- Bake for about 45 minutes, cooling for 5-10 minutes before flipping it onto a serving plate.
- Serve warm.
fruits to use in an upside-down cake
Nectarines
Peaches
Apricots
Pineapples
Strawberries
Cherries
Apples
Pears
Plums (but not too ripe or juicy)
cake pan versus cast iron skillet
Both a cake pan or cast iron skillet will work very well here. A cast iron skillet retains heat very well for even baking and will generally have more of those deep caramelized edges. The downside of a cast iron skillet is potential flavor transfer from savory dishes made in the cast iron skillet (such as garlic or onion).
fresh, frozen or canned fruit
Fresh fruit
Using fresh fruit is ideal, but this may limit fruit options due to seasonal availability.
Frozen fruit
Frozen fruit can absolutely be used, and is a great way to use seasonal fruits 365 days out of the year. And there is no need to thaw prior to using – handling frozen fruit will be much easier to handle. Baking time may need to be adjusted as the frozen fruit can add additional moisture.
Canned fruit
Avoid using canned fruit as they can be mushy and too heavily soaked in juice or syrup.
tips and tricks for success
- Avoid overmixing. Using a rubber spatula, stir the batter just until everything is just combined and moistened. Overmixing will lead to dense, tough cake.
- Mix it up. Use a different fruit, or add chopped fresh herbs such as basil or thyme. A combination of apples, pears and cinnamon would also make for a perfect Fall version.
- Reheat in the microwave. Heat up a slice of leftover cake in the microwave in short bursts (about 5-10 seconds). It will make all the difference for that warm, cakey, caramelized goodness.
- Freeze as needed. Upside-down cake freezes very well and can typically last up to 3 months in the freezer.
how to easily flip an upside-down cake (without it sticking!)
- Flip the cake shortly after it’s been removed from the oven (about 5-10 minutes).
- Run a butter knife around the sides to help loosen the cake.
- Place a serving plate over the cake. Work quickly and carefully to flip the cake (wearing oven mitts) in one quick motion, gently wiggling. Note, there may be some steam from the cake.
- If the cake has been sitting out for too long, pop it back in the oven for a few minutes for an easy release.
more favorited summertime recipes
Tools For This Recipe
9-inch cake pan or 9-inch cast iron skillet
Nectarine Upside-Down Cake: Frequently Asked Questions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes! Once cooled completely, portion into individual slices and wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, reheating at 350°F for a few minutes until heated through or for 5-10 seconds in the microwave.
Nectarine Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and divided
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 4 nectarines, sliced into 1 1/2-inch thick wedges
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
- In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, 4 tablespoons butter and eggs. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir using a rubber spatula just until moist.
- Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the bottom of a cast iron skillet or 9-inch cake pan, swirling the pan until the bottom and sides are well coated. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
- Arrange nectarine slices on top in a single layer. Scoop the batter evenly over the nectarines, smoothing out the top.
- Place into oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and turn upside down onto a serving plate.
- Serve warm.
Did you make this recipe?
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Made this cake as I had almost 5 kg of nectarine from the market. Wanted to something other than jam. Well , followed the recipe it came out delicious wanting to dig in for more. I used 250ml as 1 cup and melted 125g butter. Not sure how much is 1 stick. Used more than 1/2 of melted butter in the batter and some generously on the cake tin base.
What can we replace eggs with and the measurement for the replacement ingredients?
Caramelised nectarine juice. yum. I had been wondering what to do when I had a whole tree of nectarines come ripe on the same day. After letting the lorikeets have a few, I made a double batch of this recipe, hoping it would last my family of five a week. Next day after brekkie, it was gone. Proofs in the pudding, or in this case, the cake.
Has anybody tried this recipe with apples?
Me and my family absolutely love this recipe. It is delish.
A friend served this at our backyard cookout! Everyone went straight for the brownies, which left this yummy goodness. I seriously ate 3 pieces and immediately asked for the recipe!!
Can’t wait to make it for myself or I mean “family”
Trying other fruits as well. A perfect dessert instead of chocolate!! Thanks
Tried the recipe today and it turned out beautifully, I added a little vanilla to give it an added taste.
I have it in the oven baking right now! I already gave it 5 star’s because I know it’s going to taste delish. I had 5 nectarines so used the extra one. I added a little cinnamon & vanilla but otherwise kept it the same. My batter is nice & thick plus put a foil lined cookie sheet under the cake pan…just in case! 🙂 Thanks for what I’m sure is going to be a gr8 cake.
Seeing the reviewer who experienced too much baking soda taste, I did a little research and found that a good guideline for baked goods is 1/4 t baking soda per cup of flour. Thus, when I made this, I used only 1/2 t of soda based on 2 c flour. It came out great – no problem with rising and no soda taste.
Hi CHUNG-AH, I followed your recipe to a tea and it worked out perfectly. Thank you !
You are so welcome!
I love this recipe, however, the amount of butter is intolerable for an IBS sufferer like myself–something I unfortunately discovered after the first time with this recipe. On my second time around, I used the 4 tbsps of butter in the batter, but only **greased** the cake pan with butter. I found the result just as delicious as the first iteration, albeit the discomfort and suffering of too rich a dessert! 😉
How did you measure your flour? I think the issue I (and probably others) had with the batter may lie in how the flour is measured. Did you scoop with the measuring cup and then level it off, or did you spoon the flour into the cup then level? I had saw someone test the two ways on another site, and it can amount to up to 1/3 cup difference in the amount of flour used between the two methods.
The flour was leveled off.
So very good! Made it as written and it came out perfectly. I did place a foil lined cookie sheet underneath to catch any overflow, which did happen. Will make again with different fruits and spices. Thanks for a great recipe.
I tried this tonight, but used up some pea milk (Ripple) instead of buttermilk as it didn’t seem fresh enough for coffee. I also added about half a cup of maple syrup to the batter. I’ll make it again but will make only half the batter. I’ll also add a bit of cardamom or cinnamon to the fruit part. Thanks for the idea! It was a winner.
Your additions/changes sound delicious!
it’s cooking right now and reminds me similar of a pineapple upside down cake only difference I did was add 1 and a half teaspoons of vanilla. wasn’t brave enough to do without it. after tasting the basic batter I could see something was off so I added the vanilla and it instantly tasted like cake batter. Lol. I’m set in my ways i guess but i’m sure it will taste good.
How did it turn out?
Hey there , just made this cake and it turned out amazing ! My little one has an egg and dairy allergy . So I made the cake vegan , I substituted the buttermilk for almond and the eggs for flax eggs .
Seriously so good !!
Just made this cake and realized as I put it in the oven.. I forgot the salt while constantly chasing my toddler out of the kitchen.. otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and I’m excited but also nervous to take it to a family bbq.. we’ll see how it turns out! Thank for this recipe! I will try it again soon to the T!
This was delicious!! I also added some cinnamon and vanilla extract. Used slightly less white sugar than called for because I wanted to swirl some jam into the bottom just to add a little more color when it was sliced. It was a fun addition! I’ll definitely use this recipe again and with other fruits, it was really easy and beautiful and delicious!
That’s so great to hear, Rosalee! Thanks for your feedback.
Awesomely delicious! Thanks so very much from Canada!
Nectarine upside down cake in the oven 🙂 I added 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and probably 2 tsp of vanilla. I can’t wait to eat it. Thank you Chungah
What size cake pan did u use?
I used a 9-inch cake pan.
I followed the recipe to a tee and the cake turned out great. I think that next time, I will have a thicker layer of nectarines so that the cake is moister. I did not have any issues with the cake spilling the butter over the top. I think that the brown sugar did a good job absorbing it. Yum!