Blueberry Upside Down Cake

This Blueberry Upside Down Cake is a summer favorite! It features a simple cake mix base that’s infused with lemon flavor, baked to soft and fluffy perfection, and topped with a thick layer of juicy, caramelized blueberries. 

This Blueberry Upside Down Cake is one of my favorite recipes from one of my grandma’s vintage cookbooks. It’s the perfect dessert to whip up in the summer, and it’s made with just a few simple ingredients. 

This recipe starts with a cake mix for the easiest prep ever. That is mixed with lemon, then baked over a bed of juicy blueberries. Once it’s baked, you flip it over for the most beautiful presentation! 

This cake is seriously easy to make and doesn’t require any fancy techniques, tools, or ingredients.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Cake mix base. This recipe keeps the prep extra quick and easy by starting with a cake mix!
• Fresh or frozen blueberries. I love this dessert in the summer with plump, juicy, fresh blueberries, but you can make it any time of the year with frozen blueberries, too. 
• Yields two cakes. This recipe is designed to make two 8” round cakes, so it’s perfect for entertaining, gifting, or bringing to a summer potluck.

Ingredients

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The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

• Butter – I prefer using salted butter for a little extra flavor, but unsalted butter will work too. 
• Sugar – We’re coating the baking pans in sugar for the sweetest caramelized exterior. 
• Blueberries – Fresh is best, but frozen will work if that’s what you have on hand. 
• Lemon Zest – A little bit of lemon zest adds the perfect layer of zing to the boxed cake mix. 
• Cake Mix – We’re using yellow cake mix for our base to keep this recipe extra easy!

How to Make Blueberry Upside Down Cake

• Step One: Prepare two cake pans by greasing them with cooking spray and melted butter, then sprinkling sugar to coat the inside of the pans. 
• Step Two: In a bowl, mix the zest of one lemon and blueberries. Divide the mixture evenly between the two pans. 

• Step Three: Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions, then stir in the zest of a second lemon. Spread evenly, then bake at 375°F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Step Four: Let the cakes cool slightly, then turn them over onto a platter and dig in!

What to Serve with It

This blueberry upside-down cake is a deliciously sweet treat in its own right. However, you can always make it even more decadent by topping it with whipped cream, serving it with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, or topping it off with even more fresh berries. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Grease, butter, and sugar the pans. I spray each pan with a layer of cooking spray, followed by a coating of melted butter, and then sprinkle a little sugar. The oil prevents sticking, the butter adds flavor and creates lightly crisped edges, while the sugar enhances the overall taste. 
• Divide the batter evenly. Ensure that your two cake pans are evenly filled with batter so they bake at the same rate. 
• Check for doneness. To make sure that your cakes are done, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, then they’re ready to go. 
• Cool before flipping. Once the cake is baked, I recommend letting it cool for 10 minutes before flipping it onto the platter. This gives it a little time to set, so that it doesn’t just crumble when you turn it upside down. 
• No round cake pans? Square will work too! Just be sure that they’re 8” in length/width so as not to alter the baking time or thickness of the cakes too much.

Variations and Substitutions

• Swap the fruit. No blueberries on hand or looking to switch things up? This recipe works great with tons of your favorite fruits. Try it with raspberries, strawberry slices, blackberries, peaches, you name it. 
• Use frozen blueberries. Fresh blueberries not in season? Use frozen blueberries instead! No need to thaw them first. Just follow the recipe as instructed. 
• Try another cake mix. I usually use a yellow cake mix, but you can totally swap it out for another variety, such as white cake mix or even lemon cake mix for a fruity flavor twist. 

Storage Instructions

This blueberry upside-down cake can be stored, covered or wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

Can I Freeze It?

It can! To freeze your cake, let it cool completely, then wrap the cake pan tightly with plastic wrap, followed by foil. Store in the freezer for 3 months.

When you’re ready to enjoy, let it thaw first in the fridge. Keep in mind that the texture of the blueberries will be different, and they may make the cake slightly soggy as they thaw. 

When Should You Flip an Upside-Down Cake?

You can flip an upside-down cake right-side up as soon as it has cooled for 10 minutes after coming out of the oven. This gives it just a little bit of time to finish setting up. If you try to flip it right away, then you’ll end up with a big mess rather than a well-structured cake.

Blueberry Dessert Recipes

Love blueberry desserts? I have a few more recipes for you to try.

• Blueberry Tea Cake
• Blueberry Crackle Cake
• Blueberry and Lemon Cheesecake Bars
• Peach and Blueberry Pizza
• Rustic Blueberry Lemon Tart
• Blueberry Buckle
• Blueberry Bread
• Blueberry Cobbler

You’ll also love Fruit Cocktail Cake, Pig Pickin Cake, Pineapple Cake, Rhubarb Crumble Cake, Fruit Cocktail Dessert, Cool Whip Cookies, Chocolate Cake Batter Fudge and Cake Mix Cobbler.

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