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Thank you summer for all the great fruits you produce. Baking a cake in the middle of summer may sound crazy because it’s hot, but when I have beautiful sweet apricots and cherries I can’t resist making my favorite Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake.
Celebrate summer with an upside down cake
Summer stone fruits are simply the best. They are sweet, juicy and flavorful, and are perfect for baking. What are your favorites… peaches, nectarines or maybe plums? One of my favorites is apricots and I love the flavor of apricots best when they are cooked or baked. I was at the farmer’s market at the end of the day and bought a large bag for $2.00, score right, but then I realized I have a lot of apricots, a perfect time to bake a cake.
Upside down cakes are perfect for showing off fruit after all the fruit is what’s on top. The vanilla-scented cake itself is very moist and flavorful and the best part of this cake is flipping it over to see the buttery caramel covering the fruit and dripping down the sides of your cake.
You can definitely use canned cherries but I today I had these beautiful fresh cherries which means they have to be pitted. And, I learned my lesson, get a cherry pitter to make your life easier.
For the apricots cut in half remove the pit and slice into large sections. And, the best part, no peeling.
All upside down cakes start with melting butter and sugar in your cake pan. I personally always make my upside down cakes in an iron skillet, why, because I remember my mom doing that and I thought it was so cool to make a cake in a skillet.
Now you can have some fun putting the fruit on top of the melted butter-sugar mixture. The fun of making the upside down cakes is making a pattern with the fruit so when you flip the cake over you can see your beautiful work of fruit art.
Pour the batter over the fruit and bake.
Now get prepared to do what you may think is impossible. You are going to take this screaming hot pan and flip it over on to a serving plate. Please put your fancy oven mitts on, get your serving plate ready and take your time. Put the serving plate on top of the skillet, pick up the skillet by the handle and put your hand on top of the serving plate, now flip. You can do it!!!
Aaah, done! Now watch that sweet buttery caramel as it glazes the fruit and drips down the sides of the cake.
Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Glaze and Fruit Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 3 tbls. butter
- 3 apricots, pitted
- 1 pint cherries, stemmed, pitted and halved
Cake Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 each eggs
- 1 1/2 cups AP flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup milk
Instructions
Make the Glaze
- Melt the butter and sugars in a heavy skillet until melted and bubbly. Remove from the heat.
- Top the glaze with the fruit in a circular pattern.
Making the Cake
- Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Measure the flour, salt, and baking powder together, then whisk to combine. Mix the vanilla and milk together in a measuring cup.
- Beat in the half the flour then all the milk, then the rest of the flour, just until the flour is mixed in.
- Pour the batter over the fruit and smooth with a spatula.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove cake from oven and let sit for 10 minutes.
- With oven mitts, place a serving plate over the skillet and gently flip the cake upside down onto the plate.
It is as luscious as it looks. This Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake is definitely a cake you will want to bake.
Do you love pineapple, here is a recipe for Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cake I think you will like.
Here is your pin for saving to your Pinterest boards.
Upside down cakes are perfect to make in an iron skillet. I use a 10″ skillet like this one.
10″ Cast Iron Skillet
Cherry Pitter
This summer I hope you have time to celebrate with friends and family and share a delicious meal with a beautiful and delicious dessert using all the fruits summer has to offer us.
I have fallen in love with this cake a bit. cast iron desserts always tend to be my favorite, and the apricots and cherries in this sound incredible!
It’s fun to bake in cast iron and I think everything tastes just a little better.
Wow, what a delicious looking cake! That buttery apricot cherry top looks like glazing perfection. I love apricots too, but mostly when it’s baked or prepared in some way, so this looks like something I’d love!
Yum, yum, yum!! Such a wonderful summer cake! My kids will enjoy making this. Thanks for sharing!
What a lovely idea, enjoy pineapple upside-down but I think this apricot is even better. Looks so tasty and moist. No doubt that using seasonal fruit is the way to go.
I still love pineapple upside down cake but I am venturing out and enjoying other fruits and the results are delicious.
Oh, this cake looks absolutely delicious. I love peaches and cherries. We will definitely be making this dish for our next celebration.
Never thought of using cherry pitter for this but girl, this cake screams summer. Can I get a big slice, please?
I realized cherry pitters are a must-have kitchen tool. Unfortunately, we ate the whole cake, but the next time I make one I will save you a slice.
This motivates me to turn on the oven – a wonderfully perfect way to use summer fruit that’s at its peak right now!
I used to love upside down cake when I was at school. I really should try making it myself.
What a great sounding summer dessert, those flavours are all perfect together.
I love summer fruit cakes! This apricot and cherry cake looks so moist, fragrant and delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I hope you try this cake, it is so delicious.
Well first of all, this cake is just gorgeous! But also sounds delicious and perfect for a summertime treat. I love the combination of cherries and apricots, two of my favorites!
Thank you, Kristine, for the kind comment. Cherries and apricots go together so well.
I love anything cherry! This flavor combo is perfect!