Recipe for Blueberry upside-down cake

Lisa Zwirn for The Boston Globe

August 14, 2012

1 minute to read

Makes one 9-inch square

Bakers can never have too many recipes for blueberry cake. In this upside-down cake, the topping, which is baked on the bottom, is thick with berries and hints of buttery brown sugar. It tastes best on the day it’s made.

BLUEBERRIES

4tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut up ½cup light brown sugar2cups fresh blueberries

1. Have on hand a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Place the butter in the pan. Transfer to the oven for about 3 minutes or just until the butter melts. Remove from the oven and add the brown sugar. Stir with a spatula to moisten the sugar and spread it evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the blueberries on top; set aside.

CAKE

2cups flour2teaspoons baking powder½teaspoon salt½cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature¾cup granulated sugar2eggs1teaspoon vanilla extractGrated rind of 1 lemon¾cup milk (low-fat is OK)

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend them.

3. In an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the granulated sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon rind.

4. With the mixer set on its lowest speed, beat in half the flour mixture, then the milk, followed by the remaining flour mixture, just until fully blended. Spread the batter evenly over the blueberries.

5. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for about 45 minutes or until golden. Let sit for 10 minutes.

6. Run a blunt knife around the cake. Hold a large plate over the pan and invert the cake onto the plate. Remove the pan. (If there is any blueberry topping in the pan, spoon it onto the cake.) Serve warm or at room temperature. Lisa Zwirn