Benjamina Ebuehi reimagines the classic upside-down cake, swapping tinned pineapple for fresh blueberries and adding a hint of five-spice for warmth. This simple yet flavorful dessert requires no caramel—just toss the berries in sugar and bake.
Upside-Down Blueberry Cake
Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 1 hour | Serves: 9
Ingredients
For the topping:
—
- 350g blueberries
- 50g caster sugar
- ¼ tsp five-spice powder
For the cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 120g caster sugar
- 45g light brown sugar
- 50g olive oil
- 80g melted unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 70g soured cream
- 165g plain flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- Ice-cream, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm square tin with baking paper, leaving some overhang.
- In a bowl, toss blueberries with caster sugar and five-spice until coated. Spread evenly in the lined tin, minimizing gaps.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs and sugars until combined. Add olive oil and melted butter, stirring until smooth. Mix in soured cream. Fold in flour, baking powder, and salt until just combined.
- Pour batter over blueberries. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin for a few minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Serve warm with ice-cream.
This recipe is a celebration of juicy blueberries and aromatic five-spice, offering a dark, delicious twist on a beloved classic.
