Blueberry Upside-Down Cake

Serves
serves 8
Time
1 hour 30 minutes

MATT TAYLOR-GROSS

A thick, jammy layer of blueberries tops dense, buttery cake in this recipe shared from Robert and Cheri Ward of Blue Pearl Farms in McLellanville, South Carolina. Slightly sweet and dramatic, this is best made with the ripest in-season blueberries. All it needs is a dollop of whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg.

Featured in: A Different Wild Blueberry, a Different Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
³⁄₄ cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups blueberries
1 ¹⁄₂ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¹⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
¹⁄₂ cup whole milk
¹⁄₂ tsp. cream of tartar
Whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cook until molten and partially dissolved. Pour the sugar into a 9-inch round cake pan, and then add the blueberries, spreading them evenly across the pan.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butters and the granulated sugar with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and egg yolks, and beat until evenly combined. Add the dry ingredients followed by the milk and beat on low speed until a smooth batter forms.

Step 3

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed until they form stiff peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the cake batter until just combined, and then spread the batter over the blueberries in the pan, smoothing the top.

Step 4

Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the cake to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Place a serving platter over the pan and invert the two together. Let the pan sit upside down on the platter for 5 minutes, and then remove the pan. Let the cake cool completely on the platter, and then spoon whipped cream over the cake and dust with grated nutmeg before serving.