This Strawberry Upside Down Cake is an easy dessert made with fresh strawberries, brown sugar, and a simple yellow cake mix, making it semi-homemade, unlike this from-scratch orange upside-down cake. Once flipped, the strawberries create a beautiful topping that’s sweet, buttery, and full of old-fashioned strawberry flavor.
An Easy Strawberry Cake That Feels Like a Springtime Classic
If you love strawberry desserts that look impressive but don’t require a lot of work, this cake is one you’ll want to keep on repeat. The fresh strawberries bake into a jammy topping while the cake stays soft and tender underneath. It’s perfect as a potluck cake recipe, family dinners, church supper gatherings, or anytime strawberries are in season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fresh strawberries work best for this recipe. Frozen strawberries release too much liquid as they thaw and bake, which can make the topping watery and prevent it from setting properly.
The brown sugar and butter mixture begins to firm up as it cools. Flipping the cake after about 10 minutes helps ensure the strawberry topping releases cleanly from the pan.
Slice the strawberries about ¼ to ½ inch thick. Thin slices tend to soften too much during baking, while thicker slices hold their shape and create a prettier topping.
One pound of strawberries creates approximately two layers of fruit in the pan. This gives the finished cake plenty of strawberry flavor and helps prevent bare spots after flipping.
A 9-inch round cake pan works best. Testing showed that the cake bakes more evenly in a round pan, while larger pans can cause uneven baking and thinner topping coverage.
It’s delicious on its own, but a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it even better.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below that has the printable, full ingredient list and instructions.
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted creates the rich base for the strawberry topping.
- ½ teaspoon salt balances the sweetness and enhances the strawberry flavor.
- ½ cup light brown sugar melts together with the butter to form a buttery caramel-like layer.
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice brightens the strawberries and helps bring out their flavor.
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced thickly create the signature upside-down topping.
- 1 box yellow cake mix keeps this recipe simple while creating a soft, fluffy cake.
- 1 cup water helps create the cake batter.
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil adds moisture and tenderness.
- 3 large eggs provide structure and richness.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pour the ¼ cup melted butter, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ cup light brown sugar into a 9-inch round cake pan. Stir together until combined.
- In a bowl, toss the 1 pound thickly sliced strawberries with the 2 teaspoons lemon juice.
- Arrange the strawberries over the brown sugar mixture, slightly overlapping them as needed. Two layers of strawberries work best for good coverage.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, 1 cup water, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, and 3 eggs. Mix until smooth and fully combined.
- Carefully pour the cake batter over the strawberries. Fill the pan about three-quarters full. Depending on the cake mix brand, you may have a small amount of batter leftover. If so, bake 1 or 2 cupcakes with the extra batter.
- Bake for 38-42 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
- Place a serving platter or cake stand over the pan and carefully invert the cake.
- Serve warm or cooled. If desired, top with whipped cream before serving.
Tips
- Use ripe strawberries for the best flavor.
- Slice strawberries thickly so they hold their shape during baking.
- Pack the strawberries closely together since they shrink as they bake.
- Place a baking sheet underneath the cake pan in the oven to catch any bubbling juices.
- Don’t wait too long to flip the cake or the topping may stick to the pan.
- For a slightly richer cake, substitute milk for the water in the batter.
Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 1 day.
For longer storage, keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To serve after refrigerating, warm individual slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds if desired.
Freezing
This cake is not ideal for freezing. The strawberries release moisture after thawing, which can affect both the appearance and texture of the topping.
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Recipe
Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 pound strawberries sliced thickly
- yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add the melted butter, salt and brown sugar to the cake pan. Stir to combine.
- Add the lemon juice over top of the strawberries and toss to combine.
- Place the sliced strawberries over the brown sugar mixture. You should end up with about 2 layers of strawberries.
- In a large mixing bowl add the yellow cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs, stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter over top until the cake pan is ¾ full of batter. You may have a small amount left, that you can transfer to a cupcake pan (it can make between 1-2 cupcakes).
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 38-42 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
- Turn the cake out onto a platter or cake stand, and serve warm or cooled. Optional: serve with some whipped topping.
Notes
- Use fresh strawberries rather than frozen for the best texture and appearance.
- Slice the strawberries about ¼ to ½ inch thick so they hold their shape while baking.
- Arrange the strawberries snugly together, as they will shrink slightly as they bake.
- Let the cake cool for only about 10 minutes before flipping to help prevent the topping from sticking to the pan.
- A 9-inch round cake pan works best for even baking and the prettiest presentation.
- Depending on the brand of cake mix used, you may have a small amount of batter leftover. Bake any extra batter as cupcakes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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