Blackberry Cake (EASY Upside-Down Skillet Cake)
Blackberry Cake is studded with almonds and bursting with fresh blackberries in a simple, homemade batter. This delicious twist on the popular pineapple dessert is easy to make, impressive to serve, and tastes like summer!
If you're looking for a simple summer dessert to wow your family or guests while showcasing fresh seasonal produce, look no further than this easy and delicious Blackberry Cake!
This Blackberry Cake recipe actually borrows its inspiration from the good ol' summer classic that we all know and love: pineapple upside-down cake! I've previously shared a spin on the pineapple original with my Strawberry Upside-Down Cake, but today's blackberry version is just as effortless to make...and equally scrumptious!
Ingredients
Straightforward ingredients yield delectable results in this Blackberry Cake!
- Butter. Cubed and at room temperature.
- Granulated sugar.
- Eggs. At room temperature.
- Almond extract. Just a little bit goes a long way! If you don't care for almond extract, you could substitute vanilla extract instead, but I recommend doubling the amount to 1 teaspoon.
- Cake flour. Fluffed and leveled, to give your Blackberry Cake a light and tender texture! But don't worry if you don't have any cake flour on hand. Scroll down a bit to learn how to easily make cake flour yourself!
- Baking powder + salt. For cake rise and depth of flavor.
- Buttermilk. Again, if you don't have any buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own! Scroll down for instructions.
- Sliced almonds. Feel free to toast them for extra crunch if you like. Simply spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 4 to 7 minutes or until fragrant and just turning golden. Watch them carefully as nuts can go from perfect to burned in a matter of seconds!
- More butter. This time, it needs to be melted (for the bottom of your skillet).
- Brown sugar. I prefer using light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar would also work.
- Fresh blackberries. The star of the show!
How to Make Blackberry Cake
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This skillet Blackberry Cake recipe follows the same easy steps as a traditional upside-down cake.
- Preheat the oven and coat the sides of a 10-inch skillet with nonstick baking spray with flour.
- Use an electric mixer to beat the cubed butter until creamy.
- Add sugar and beat until fluffy.
- Add eggs and almond extract. Beat until well-combined.
- Gradually blend in ½ cup of the cake flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Then stir in half of the buttermilk.
- Mix in another ½ cup of the flour and the remaining buttermilk.
- Blend in the remaining flour until just combined.
- Stir in the almonds by hand.
- Pour melted butter into you prepared skillet and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top. Mix until fully-combined and coating the bottom of the skillet.
- Arrange the blackberries in the bottom of the skillet. Line 'em up and make 'em pretty!
- Scrape the batter over the blackberries and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and tests done with a toothpick.
- When your Blackberry Cake comes out of the oven, run a knife or thin spatula around the edges of the skillet to loosen the cake. Cool in the skillet for 10 to 15 minutes after that.
- Run the knife around the edges again, lay a plate or platter on top of the cake, and quickly invert the cake onto the plate.
- Let the cake sit for a minute before carefully lifting off the skillet, replacing any berries that may have stuck to the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
As mentioned in the ingredient list above, if you don't have cake flour or buttermilk on hand for this Blackberry Cake recipe, it's easy to make homemade substitutes.
How to Make Homemade Cake Flour
To make 1 ½ cups cake flour (as called for in this recipe):
- First measure 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour into a bowl.
- Use a tablespoon to remove 3 level tablespoons of flour from the bowl (just transfer it back into your flour canister).
- Now add 3 tablespoons cornstarch to your bowl of flour (to replace the flour you just removed). Whisk together until well-combined and...
...voilà! You just made your own cake flour!
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk
To make the amount of buttermilk needed for this Blackberry Cake:
- Measure ⅔ cup milk into a glass measuring cup.
- Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice OR white vinegar to the measuring cup.
- Stir well to combine and allow to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature until thickened.
Now you're ready to proceed with the recipe!
Blackberry Cake is glorious in its simplicity. But it's also delightful when topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
It would be a lovely treat for your family or a special dessert to bring to a summer gathering or BBQ.
So please...put it on your to-make list this summer when fresh blackberries are at their plumpest, sweetest, and juiciest. You won't be sorry!
More Berry-licious Recipes
Blackberry Cake (EASY Upside-Down Skillet Cake)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- ⅔ cup sliced almonds
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 pint fresh blackberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray the sides of a 10-inch skillet with nonstick spray with flour (or grease and flour).
- Beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the eggs and almond extract and beat to combine.
- Gradually blend in ½ cup of the cake flour, the baking powder, and the salt. Then stir in half of the buttermilk. Mix in another ½ cup of the flour and the remaining buttermilk. Then blend in the remaining flour until just combined. Stir in the almonds by hand.
- Pour the melted butter into the skillet and stir in the brown sugar to coat the bottom of the pan. Arrange the blackberries over the butter/brown sugar mixture and pour the batter over the blackberries, smoothing the top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and tests done with a toothpick.
- When the Blackberry Cake comes out off the oven, run a knife or thin spatula around the edges of the skillet to loosen the cake. Allow to cool in the skillet for 10 to 15 minutes. Run the knife around the edges again, lay a plate on top of the cake, and quickly invert. Allow to sit for a minute before carefully lifting off the skillet, replacing any berries that may have stuck to the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- If you don't care for almond extract, you may substitute vanilla extract instead (but I recommend doubling the amount of vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon).
- If you don't have cake flour on hand, you can make your own. To make 1 ½ cups of homemade cake flour:
- Measure 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour into a bowl.
- Use a tablespoon to remove 3 level tablespoons of the flour from the bowl (transfer it back into your flour canister).
- Add 3 tablespoons cornstarch to your bowl of flour (to replace the flour you just removed).
- Whisk together until well-combined and proceed with the recipe.
- If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own. To make ½ cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk:
- Measure ⅔ cup milk into the bottom of a glass measuring cup.
- Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice OR white vinegar to the measuring cup.
- Stir well to combine and allow to sit for 10 minutes at room temperature until thickened.
- If you like, you can toast your almonds before stirring them into the cake batter. Spread sliced almonds on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 4 to 7 minutes or until fragrant and just turning golden, watching carefully.
- This recipe turns out best when made in a skillet. But it can be made in a 10-inch round pan instead if you don't have a skillet.
Nutrition
Guest post by Karyn Ganrud of PintSizedBaker.com, originally published on August 20, 2015, and updated on February 21, 2021, and May 13, 2024.
I have some frozen blackberries in my freezer. Would they work in this recipe?
Yes! 🙂
Hi. I have some blackberries begging to be used in this cake. Can I omit the actual almonds completely or sub in another nut variety? Thank you!
Hi Gina! You can sub your favorite type of nut or omit them altogether. 🙂
Easy to make, great flavor but the cake was a little bit more denser than I thought it would be.
Just curious I was going to make a peach & rhubarb UPSIDE DOWN cake.. have you used other kinds of fruit with the cake recipe...like w/ vanilla extract & different fruits but same everything else?
I think I am going to give it a go with my fresh peaches and rhubarb I need to use up Tonite.. I will let you know results..thank you for sharing your recipe!
What a spectacular dessert! And so delicious!