Cherry Almond Upside-Down Cake (Printable)

Moist upside-down cake with caramelized cherries and almond notes, rich and tender, perfect for dessert or tea.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit topping

01 - 2 1/2 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
02 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter
03 - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

→ Cake batter

04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/3 cup ground almonds (almond meal)
06 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
09 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 2 large eggs
11 - 1/2 cup whole milk
12 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13 - 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.
02 - Melt unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir in the brown sugar until combined and gently bubbling, then pour the caramel evenly into the prepared pan.
03 - Distribute the pitted cherries in a single, even layer over the caramel, ensuring good coverage but avoiding overcrowding.
04 - Whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until homogenous.
05 - In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating fully before adding the next, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
06 - Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the batter.
07 - Gently spread the batter over the cherry layer, using an offset spatula to smooth the surface and maintain an even thickness.
08 - Bake in the preheated oven for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge, then invert onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper.
10 - Serve warm or at room temperature. Optionally accompany with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The caramelized cherry topping creates its own showstopping finish without any fancy decorating.
  • This cake always stays tender and moist thanks to the ground almonds—there’s no chance of a dry crumb here.
02 -
  • Don’t rush the caramel stage or it’ll go grainy and the topping won’t set right.
  • Leaving the cake in the pan longer than 10 minutes makes flipping a sticky challenge—and caramel should coat, not cling.
03 -
  • A metal cake pan (not glass) caramelizes the sugar more evenly—worth hunting one down.
  • Check cake with a skewer all round the center to ensure there are no sneaky underbaked spots under the cherries.
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