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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Baking / Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

    Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

    Published: Sep 19, 2014 · Modified: Mar 7, 2019

    Blackberry upside down cake

    I was out walking Ringo whilst visiting my parents in West Sussex last week, lamenting that I hadn't had the foresight to bring along a container so that I could pick blackberries when I realised that an unused dog-poo bag would do nicely. I managed to pick over a kilo of berries there were so many; but then I had to decide what to do with them all! I chose to make three things to use them all up, this cake was the first.

    Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

    This is not a pretty cake, but it is delicious; a little bit of ground star anise gives it a delicate aniseed flavour, but you can easily replace it with ground ginger if you aren't keen on aniseed. The addition of wholemeal flour creates a heartier crumb which works well with the juicy blackberries and it is scrumptious when served warm with ice cream or custard.

    Blackberry Upside Down Cake

    I am participating in Fiesta Friday hosted by Angie from The Novice Gardener, check it out to join the party!

    Serves 8.

    Ingredients:

    • 275g (9.5 oz) blackberries
    • 175g (1 cup) light brown soft sugar
    • 150g (½ cup + 2tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
    • 2 eggs
    • 50ml (scant ¼ cup) milk
    • 1tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 star anise/1 tsp ground ginger
    • 50g (⅓ cup + 2tbsp) wholemeal flour
    • 100g (¾ cup + 2tbsp) plain flour
    • 1tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
    • ¼ tsp cinnamon
    • pinch salt

    Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 20cm round loose bottomed cake tin, line the base with baking parchment and grease again generously. Sprinkle 2tbsp of the sugar over the base of the tin and arrange the blackberries on top.

    Crush the star anise in a pestle and mortar/spice grinder/coffee grinder until you are left with a fine powder, there may be a few stubborn pieces, sift these out.

    Cream the butter with the remaining sugar until fluffy. Beat together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract, in a separate bowl mix together the flours, baking powder, bicarb of soda, cinnamon, star anise power and salt.

    Mix one third of the egg mixture into the butter, then fold in one third of the dry ingredients, repeat untill everything has been incorporated. Pour the batter on top of the blackberries and level out, bake for 40-50 minutes until well-risen and springy to the touch; if it starts to colour too quickly then cover the top of the tin with some tin foil.

    As soon as the cake is cooked, turn it out onto a wire rack and peel off the baking parchment. Best served warm.

    (Adapted from http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/30/blackberry-recipes-choux-bun-upside-down-cake-baking-ruby-tandoh1 )

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jess

      September 19, 2014 at 2:24 pm

      I think it's a very pretty cake- your pictures made me want some. You should share it with us at this week's Fiesta Friday Link Party: http://thenovicegardener.wordpress.com/2014/09/19/meals-with-mom-fiesta-friday-34/

      Good job 🙂

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 19, 2014 at 10:24 pm

        Thankyou very much! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Lisa

      September 20, 2014 at 12:55 am

      Love that you added anise and ginger! I grow my own blackberries and will for sure try this!

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 20, 2014 at 9:00 am

        I'm glad that you like it 🙂 I wish that I had room to grow my own blackberries so that I don't have to forage for them with dog-poo bags!

        Reply
    3. Selma's Table

      September 20, 2014 at 8:10 am

      Hello Hannah, welcome to Fiesta Friday! I am one of the co-hosts this week and am delighted that you took up Jess's invitation to join the party! A wonderful sounding cake made with hedgerow berries foraged in an unused dog poo bag - not sure it could get anymore resourceful or English than that!!! Bravo! If you would like to be considered for a feature in Angie's post next week, you will need to edit your post to include a link back to her post and a little blurb saying that you are joining the party. Take a look at my post (towards the end and before the recipe for more details). The FF bunch are a really friendly and supportive group, so do try and visit as many of the posts as you can, leave a comment and follow any blogs you like the look of too. Thanks again for sharing this with us - have a wonderful weekend!!

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 20, 2014 at 8:43 am

        Link done! Thank you very much for your help Selma 🙂 And I have to say that your plum and cinnamon cake looks amazing!

        Reply
        • Selma's Table

          September 20, 2014 at 8:46 am

          No problem and thank you! Now go and have a mingle and make some new bloggy friends!!

          Reply
    4. Selma's Table

      September 20, 2014 at 8:11 am

      And I forgot to say that I have blog name envy….

      Reply
    5. Lori

      September 21, 2014 at 1:16 am

      An upside down cake made with blackberries?! Yes please! Gorgeous!

      Reply
    6. Hilda

      September 21, 2014 at 2:02 am

      Your cake looks very pretty to me, and I imagine it is delicious with that wonderful mix of spices which go so well with the fruit. And good for you for foraging with your repurposed bag and not letting those gorgeous berries go to waste.

      Reply
    7. chefjulianna

      September 21, 2014 at 5:07 am

      I love the look of your cake, Hannah! I have a bunch of blackberries hanging out in my freezer just waiting for a recipe, so I think I will just have to try yours! Love the idea of the anise too! Hope you are enjoying FF! 😀

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 21, 2014 at 9:26 am

        Thanks! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Elaine @ foodbod

      September 21, 2014 at 5:55 am

      How funny! I keep seeing people with unused dog poo bags full of blackberries when I'm out walking Bob 🙂

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 21, 2014 at 9:23 am

        Really?! Everyone I've seen out blackberrying has gone fully prepared with baskets and tubs 🙂

        Reply
        • Elaine @ foodbod

          September 21, 2014 at 9:51 am

          I think it's people who didn't plan to pick any then saw them whilst they were out walking!

          Reply
    9. Elaine @ foodbod

      September 21, 2014 at 5:56 am

      PS beautiful jewellery!

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 21, 2014 at 9:24 am

        Thankyou! 🙂

        Reply
    10. spiceinthecity

      September 21, 2014 at 12:02 pm

      That looks like a delicious cake! Love blackberries!

      Reply
    11. Ginger

      September 21, 2014 at 6:20 pm

      Great example of upcycling! Lovely cake, we have so many brambles here I might give it a try 🙂

      Reply
    12. Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake

      September 22, 2014 at 4:53 pm

      This looks so yummy, I'm kicking myself that I haven't baked with blackberries this summer!

      Reply
    13. HostessAtHeart

      September 24, 2014 at 12:11 am

      I think your cake and pictures are gorgeous!

      Reply
      • hannahhossack

        September 24, 2014 at 8:24 am

        Thankyou! 🙂

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Meals with Mom | Fiesta Friday #34 | The Novice Gardener says:
      September 20, 2014 at 2:32 am

      […] Hannah […]

      Reply

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