Strawberry upside down cake: the perfect summer dessert using fresh strawberries and blueberries. Tender, moist, delicious.
I kind of by-passed this event earlier this month {for this super important how to journal for anxiety and stress post}, but the blog turned two on Saturday {6-1-19}!!
Last year it was hard for me to believe that my little corner of the blog world was celebrating one year old. I can’t believe yet another year has gone by with tons of great recipes, and a transition into sharing more lifestyle and health related posts.
I have honestly loved this transition into an overall healthy lifestyle, and even sharing bits and pieces of our life and our journey through IVF. I truly hope you have enjoyed it as well, and will continue to stick around long after the year two mark.
What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a cake? I mean the blog is called, “I Only Came for the Cake”.
This strawberry upside down cake could be a new fave of mine, and hopefully yours too, since you all have still been lovin’ on the peach upside down cake from two years ago.
It’s tender, sweet and juicy, and the red, white and blue make it perfect for a fourth of July dessert!
Three layers to a Strawberry Upside Down Cake
Layer 1: Strawberries
What would a strawberry upside down cake be if there weren’t actually strawberries in the cake?
At this time of the year, fresh strawberries are absolutely perfect for this kind of cake.
Rather than cooking the strawberries down, they’re tossed with honey and vanilla and poured directly into the pan.
When baked, they become soft, sweeter and extra juicy. This would be an absolutely perfect cake if you had garden fresh strawberries or farmers market red jewels.
Layer 2: Cake
Now, this cake is no where near healthy, but it is dang delicious.
A combination of creamed butter and sugar {is there really anything better?}, coconut milk for richness and creating that extra soft cake, makes this the most delectable summer-time cake out there.
In the spirit of red, white and blue, and fresh summer fruit, I tossed in some blueberries for an added pop of sweetness. The burst in your mouth goodness that comes from fresh blueberries just can’t be beat.
Layer 3: Nilla Wafers
Yes, you read that right: Nilla Wafers.
I wanted to give this cake somewhat of a pie feeling, what with all of those juicy chunks of fruit, so including a graham cracker flavor was necessary.
You could certainly use crushed graham crackers, and those cinnamon flavored ones would make for an amazing combination, but Nilla Wafers have this quintessential summer feeling to me.
Once crushed and sprinkled in the center of the cake, the vanilla flavoring perfectly compliments the strawberries, blueberries and cake.
Layer 4: Eating
Okay, this might not actually be a layer, but it definitely should be!
One bite of this strawberry upside down cake is going to have you going back for more.
It practically melts in your mouth it is so soft. In fact, I just finished off two pieces just now {they weren’t that big…stop judging}. Which actually, no one will judge you for having an extra slice of this summer-time cake, because it is just that good.
So hurry up, grab your second slice before it’s gone!
Looking for more bundt cakes? Check these out:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 2 cups Nilla wafers crushed
- 4 cups diced strawberries
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla
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Preheat oven to 350°F and generously grease a 10” Bundt pan with baking spray.
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In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the coconut milk and vanilla and continue to beat on until completely incorporated and smooth.
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Add in half the flour mixture until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture and continue to beat until smooth.
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Fold the blueberries into the batter and set aside.
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In a medium-sized, add the strawberries, honey and vanilla and stir to combine.
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Pour into the prepared Bundt pan. Pour half the batter over the strawberries.
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Sprinkle the crushed Nilla wafers over the top and top with the remaining batter.
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Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from the edges.
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Cool cake in Bundt pan for 15-30 minutes, then invert on a plate.* Slice and enjoy with ice cream, if desired.
*Note: make sure to let the cake cool almost completely. Run a butter knife around the outside and inside of the bundt pan before turning over.
