I thought upside down was one word. I was wrong.
You knew it wasn’t one word. You’re smarter than me.
Let’s learn a lesson… because I just learned it, and I want to share it with you.
Upside down is two words when you write something like “Oh crap… that pie just landed on the floor upside down!” Adverb nation. Wait… right?
Upside-down is hyphenated when it’s used as an adjective like, “Oh crap… Joy is totally obsessed with strawberries right now, and that Strawberry Upside-down Cake looks major.” Upside-down describes the cake… working overtime in adjective land.
… And this… this is why I’m not an English teacher.
Class dismissed.
I shoved this cake in my mouth on Sunday morning as I was rushing off to church.
I wasn’t late.
Ok… I wasn’t that late.
My point is that this cake is super easy to throw together on a Sunday morning.
And! It’s best eaten warm (when you’re in a hurry).
The cake batter is a simple brown sugar and sour cream cake. It’s sweet and moist, with a delicate but sturdy crumb. How’s that for food words?
Easy, uncomplicated, summer weekend dessert.
If you wanted to experiment with other berries for this recipe, I’d totally support you!
Strawberry Upside-down Cake with Cardamom
makes: one 8-inch cake
For the Topping:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup sliced strawberries
For the Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
2/3 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
I used an 8-inch round with 3-inch tall sides. You can also use a 9-inch round with 2-inch sides.
Place butter in the cake pan and place in the oven. When butter is melted, remove pan from the oven. Using two pot holders, tilt the pan around and around, coating the sides of the pan with butter. Once sides are coated, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on medium speed. Cream until slightly pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop mixer, scrape down the bowl with a spatula, and add egg and vanilla extract. Beat for 1 minute.
Turn the mixer off, scrape the bowl, and add the dry ingredients. Beat on low speed while adding the sour cream. Beat until the batter just comes together. Batter will be pretty thick. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish incorporating ingredients with a spatula.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup brown sugar into the melted butter in the cake pan. Sprinkle strawberry slices over the butter and sugar in a single layer. Spoon batter over the strawberries and spread evenly with a spatula. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake rest for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge of the cake and inverting the cake onto a cake plate. Serve warm with sweetened sour or whipped cream.
340 Responses
[…] and I added chocolate chips (but no nuts because I’m nutty enough). The second recipe was Strawberry Upside-Down Cardamom Cake. Hubby had a co-worker who shared some of the spices he brought back from a holiday overseas. One […]
If I halve this (yes, half an egg…) could I use a 6″ tin?
Could you use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
You sure can!
hi joy! i made this yesterday for easter and it was a hit. i wanted to let you know that i tried it with some substitutions to make it vegan, and it turned out great. i subbed vegan cultured butter (miyoko’s creamery brand), three tablespoons of aquafaba for the egg and equal amounts of coconut cream for the sour cream. i probably should’ve baked a little longer to compensate for the swaps (maybe ~10 minutes) — it was a little gooey in the middle, but to be honest, that part was pretty delicious, too! i mixed up the leftover coconut cream with a little more brown sugar and vanilla for a whipped topping. i have just been starting to delve more into vegan baking, so i was really happy with how this turned out! thanks for the great recipe!
Do you think I could use figs for this? Made it with strawberries and it was great but not sure how the brown sugar + butter will work with sliced figs! Thanks!
I haven’t tested it, but let me know if you do
Made this for Fathers Day last weekend. Received rave reviews from the whole family. Even the ones that aren’t dessert eaters (!) had a second piece. Thanks Joy :)
Perfect for Father’s Day!
I was desperate for a strawberry upside-down cake (too many strawberries in the fridge). I had no cardamom, so I dumped in some garam masala, since it was the only thing in my spice cupboard with cardamom in it. Thanks for this recipe…it turned out great!
Man oh man that is good! Wouldn’t change a thing about this recipe. Just delicious.
This is the first upside down cake I ever made and it was awesome–totally demystified this approach for me. Thank you! This recipe will be in regular rotation for sure.
Just made this cake, looked absolutely horrible. It was not a red color but more of an ugly pink.
Hi Joy,
I have a question. Is it best to use a cake pan with removable bottom for this cake or a normal one?
Once I made an upside down cake with that kind of pan and it was a mess, because a lot of the fruit juice leaked through. On the other hand, I can imagine that without removable bottom it could be somewhat harder to get the cake out of the pan.
Please, give me some advice! >.<
Hello Claudia! Thanks for the question. I used a regular cake pan, and it worked perfectly. I made sure to grease the pan really well, though. But if you’re afraid that the cake will stick, then by all means use a springform pan. It’ll still work! Just make sure it’s the same size as the cake pan you would’ve used!
Am I going cuckoo, or did you modify the recipe since the original posting? I made a note to use half of the white sugar called for and sub the other half with brown sugar, but now it looks like it calls for only brown sugar. Either way, I’ve been baking this with only the brown sugar and it is DIVINE.
Hi! I have made this cake and loved it. I wanted to know if it would be ok to use yogurt instead of sour cream? like 2.25% plain yogurt. Thanks!
Delicious and wonderfully simple to make!! Love the cardamom- it really made the cake stand out. Thank your for sharing a lovely way to enjoy a summer treat :) I will definitely make this again and top it with ice cream.
Just tried this with blueberries … no sour cream, so substituted orange Greek Yogurt … the better tasted good enough to eat with a spoon.
I substituted strawberries with cherries and cardamom with ginger, only because I was curious. excellent! next week, I’m definitely going for the original recipe!!!
I just made this an it is so divine! :) Thanks for this great recipe!
What is ground cardamom? Does it make a difference in the taste? Looking for new strawberry recipes :)
I made this over the weekend, it was delicious and amazingly beautiful! Needless to say, it was consumed in 2 sittings. Thank you for the recipe!!
We’ve been experimenting with your cake recipes and they’re lovely!
Hi Joy,
I,m Gopa , full time architect and part time baking enthusiast.
I came across your blog purely by chance and I must thank you for
your lovely recipes. All the cakes I ve tried to date have turned out perfectly!!!!
Thanks a ton!
First of all, this is my go-to potluck brunch special and everyone always looks forward to it! However, the bad new is, I always crave it and then eat way too much! Today I cut the recipe to 1/4th the size and divided it between 2 ramekins! Minis! And it was just as delicious! Next time I will probably cut up the strawberries b/c they don’t look as pretty in the tiny form whole form. I used eggwhites b/c I was out of regular eggs, and it turned out fine (21 mins @ 350 F)I think I’ll try them for the next get together in mini muffin tins with just one strawberry piece at the top!
I am about the make this cake again…. with the last of my plums from the Farmer’s Market. First time I made 2, one with plums and the other peaches, and they were both a big hit, home and work. The plum was the most popular tho :) Last time I used a 9″ round pan, going to use a smaller, deeper one this time.
Lovely recipe Joy – thank you :)
I made this delicious cake today. We sang Happy Birthday to my husband and enjoy the cake with whipped cream. My only complaint is that my strawberries look a little brown. Anyway, it was easy and yummy.
I just made this but switched up the strawberries for blood oranges and added some almond meal. So good!
I had run out of sour cream too so I added yoghurt.
The blood oranges added a bitter edge which was surprisingly nice! Thanks so much for a stellar recipe once again!
I made this last month. OMG. It is fantastic! I could have eaten the whole cake myself. Thanks for posting!
Hey Joy! Just wondering . . . how do you keep the strawberries such a beautiful, vibrant red color? When I’ve baked with strawberries in the past, they seem to fade considerably. Thanks for your help!! xo
Hello, this is an absolutely WONDERFUL blog!!!! I just copied this strawberry cake and going try it tomorrow =)
I also have a food blog, but not this good, cause I´m not that good at taking pictures and setting all those technical things :D at least I´m good at the cooking part, I suppose, haha
I’m going to make this cake today with raspberries – my mouth is salivating already! Have you tried Sally Wise’s Rhubarb cake? Similar recipe to this, but with rhubarb and cinnamon in the topping and no sour cream. It’s my most favourite cake ever! But I haven’t tried this one yet, right?
This was my birthday cake … substituted cinnamon for cardamom … it was amazingly delicous.
So this is the first recipe I have made from this website. It came out wonderfully and everyone I fed it to including myself greatly enjoyed it. I actually used this recipe for a video project that is my final project for my basic single camera production class. The only question I have is, if the pictures of the cake are original and correct, how do I get my strawberries to be that bright? Mine ended up looking much darker and not so bright red. It still tasted delicious so I am not upset at all, but if I could make this and have the strawberries remain nice and bright instead of a dark pink color it would be amazing! I plan on making this again so any input would be appreciated.
Hay Joy I’m vegan and I love your blog! I just veganized this cake. I used earth balance instead of regular butter, 1/4 cup silken tofu to replace the egg and vegan tofu sour cream. I also added a little bit of vanilla powder in addition to the cardamon. The cake was delicious!!!!! This was my first Joy the Baker recipe and I can’t wait to make others!
ooh, I just had to say hello because I saw your name. My daughter is called Cassia, but I’ve not yet met or heard of another Cassia. She’s named after a flower that is abundant in Central Australia (where we live) and because I love the name.
Sorry for the late reply. I only know of myself and young girl. My mother got the name out of a plant book. I’ve been to Alice Springs and it was lovely!
Made this cake for the first time this morning after eyeing the recipe for several months. I tossed about 1/2 cup finely chopped frozen rhubarb in sugar and sprinkled that over the strawberries before baking. It was really delicious. I can’t wait to make this with other fruits! Great recipe!
I have made this cake over and over again. So easy, delicious, and beautiful. Always turns out well, even when I sub in whole grain flours like barley and whole wheat pastry. I’ve done strawberry, blueberry and peach versions in the summer. And now that it’s winter, I have been desperate for some fresh fruit desserts. So I used apple, which was amazing! The butter browned a bit when I melted it in the oven. That combined with the brown sugar caramelizing the apples made the most delicious apple layer on top.
Thanks Joy!
Instead of cardamom (none on hand) I used ginger….Amazing Flavor!
I tried this last night and it came out wonderfully! Everyone loved it :)
Do you think I could substitute greek yogurt for sour cream? I have been reading online you can, as long as the yogurt has enough fat content? (This question arises out of laziness, rather than trying to be more healthy – I just don’t want to make a trip to the store!)
i think that greek yogurt could totally work.
I made this lastnight with peaches. Yummy! Fresh peaches. Mmmm. I had to fight the kids off and brought 1/2 of the cake to work today and by 9 a.m. it was gone already. :) So far I’ve made it with strawberries and now peaches. Will have to try other fruits – excellent cake. Thanks again Joy!
I gave my boyfriend the option of finishing dinner or making this. He hadn’t made a cake before (weirdo) and was super excited that it tasted sooo good. Thanks, Joy!!
This was an excellent recipe. So often I make or bake something and I think, “It is good but I’d probably change this or that…” With this recipe I just sat back, ate it silently and enjoyed the perfect slice. Love it!
My daughter (almost 3) and I made your cake this afternoon. She ate the strawberries as fast as I could slice them but in the end we had a most wonderful cake. There is a larger endorsement on my blog. Thanks for the yumminess!
I just keep making this cake, it’s so easy and delicious ! Last time the strawberries were outrageously over priced, so I went for peaches, skipped the cardamom, and it worked out beautiful !
I made two of these cakes for the fourth of july and they were incredible… the most moist cake ever….. a huge hit in the family (even for those who typically hate cake)
Wonderful cake, I made it last night and it was delicious, we had to taste it coming out of the oven because of the fabulous aroma from the strawberries, butter and cardamom. We were not disappointed.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
This is an upside-down cake I would love (the pineapple kind, not so much…). Cardayum!
These ingredients remind me of one of my favorite summer snacks – you take a strawberry, dip it in sour cream, then dip it in brown sugar. Sounds weird but its so good! This cake is cooling on my counter right now and smells amazing. Can’t wait to dig in!
I made this for a birthday party – it was a huge hit! Such a unique taste, too. Thanks!
My friends and I had a baking party yesterday, and I made this cake! I left out the cardamom (my boyfriend is a picky eater,) and browned the butter that I used for the topping. It was delicious, and the browned butter gave it an extra nutty something. Next time, I think I’ll top it with whipped cream, and maybe put some cardamom in there instead. I might also try making the whole thing with browned butter.
Glad to hear this works with other berries. It looks wonderful, I’ve always love cardamon, but I really don’t like cooked strawberries for some reason. I intend to try this when blueberries are cheap again.
Thanks!
JudiD
joy!
this was so ridiculously easy..i felt like such an all star. also, the finished project was devoured. everyone was happy.
i’m going to eat the last few crumbs standing right side up.
Thanks for a sublime recipe! I made it and will do a blog post about it, with a link to your site, on June 27, 2011 at https://rosemarywashington.wordpress.com.
Thanks again for your inspiration!
This recipe is wonderful! I made it today to take to a pool party and was wonderful to eat with friends poolside! I want to try it again with peaches or blueberries or both!! Thanks for sharing this one!
I made this cake on Sunday and it was a total hit!!! I loved it and it was super easy!
Hi Joy–
Just polished off this cake. It was just as delish as it looks. I too tried it with whole wheat flour and it worked out perfectly.
As a side note, I’ve been listening to your podcasts and I truly enjoy them. It makes me feel like I’m right there with you!
Just made this cake tonight for our dessert and OMG! I seriously have to stop myself from eating the whole pan.
Mmm couldn’t help but make this cake, and although it was very delicious, unfortunately it came out about 3/4″ thick and very dense. I made it while housesitting, so I couldn’t use my Kitchenaid, thus I used a handheld mixer instead. Is that why it came out so dang thin? I also had to use a 9″ square pan instead of a round…maybe a combination of factors then? I’ll make it again with the right mixer and the right pan and check in again!
I made this once for my parents! And then I made it again with sour cherries for a party– definitely a hit both times! thanks :-)
OH! Joy…..
I bought the sour cream….
I whipped this up while prepping dinner….
I cooled it while we ate……
we ate it warm with a side serve of yogurt and we were all happy… very ….very happy!!
THANK YOU!
i have made this cake now 4 times. twice it was for the local police department. wait, no, i gave them 3/4 of my test cake as well. i may have eaten the other quarter of that one. they loved it except for the one guy who wouldn’t try because he’d just put in fresh chew.
question if you don’t mind: my strawberries turned all brown so i put fresh slices over that, but is there a way to keep them more vibrant in color? just wondering…. thanks for the nummy in the tummy!
I was wondering this too — my strawberries looked a bit dull after cooking too!
Okay, this is an update to my previous comment. I did end up making this for my mother-in-law’s birthday, she was impressed. It was easy to bake and delish! I conquered another ridiculous fear too and made home-made whipped cream, umm, why didnt anyone tell me how easy it is? I made it with cardamom too, I love me some cardamom. People were very grateful. Thanks Joy!
awesome keegan! i love this update!
Hi Joy!
I made this with blackberries today instead of strawberries.
You said you’d support me. So I went for it :)
It’s worth it.
Thanks thanks thanks!
I replaced the strawberries with some peaches that I had and oh my goodness it was so delicious! I can’t wait to try it with strawberries!
Joy, I’m a newer lurker and love the blog. You may have already answered this question, but where do you get your pretty pretty plates?
I just made one, it came out fantastic, despite alterations and mistakes.
Worked great with whole wheat flour instead of white and plain yogurt instead of sour cream.
It was a little too thin in a 9″ pan, also had to add more strawberries for the increased surface area.
Also, I topped it with a dab lemon frosting. The tastes went very well together.
awesome!
Hi Joy, I made this for my dad for father’s day and it came out DELICIOUS.. the cake was super moist to my surprise as I had thought I ruined it since the batter was super goopey and hard to spread out. Like cha cha I also used half wheat with white and yogurt, and cut down the sugar to half cup. I replaced the cardamom with cinnamon as it was the closest thing I had in the cupboard. Since I didn’t have strawberries, I ended up using raspberries (altho a bit too much), and the tartness was a nice combination. If there wasn’t such a thing as nutrients I would only eat this for the rest of my life no joke. Thanks for sharing!!!
yaaay joy!!
https://www.finecooking.com/item/33960/oh-joy-strawberry-upside-down-cake-with-cardamom
Just made this and it was delicious. I used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white flour and plain yogurt instead of sour cream (all I had). Am having it for breakfast right now, with my cappuccino. Yummy! Great breakfast cake because it’s really not too sweet and the natural strawberry flavor shines through.
Cake for breakfast? I like the way you think.
Delicious strawberry upside-down cake with CARDAMOM for breakfast?! I LOVE the way you think.
Thanks for another amazing recipe Joy!
Ahhh, the sweet satisfaction! I love this. It was very simple, yet had a delightful layering of flavors that was very nice. It just made me so happy. :) I feel like a contented kitty. Your contented kitty? Maybe. The difference being I don’t eat things off the floor. Mostly.
I just made this earlier and it’s almost half gone! I want to eat the rest by myself but my boyfriend would kill me. It’s delicious, thanks Joy! Next time I think I’ll try adding cinnamon to it too, yummmmmy!
A great summer recipe. Thanks Joy!
Delicious flavour but the cake came apart when I turn it. Might have been too hot and wondering if I should have waited longer??
it may have been too hot! sorry the cake gave you trouble!
It look delicious , have printed recipe and Im going bake on Monday as a gift for my sis who will be back from holiday. Sweet surprise!
dear joy,
i made this last night. it was magical. thank you for bringing magic into my life.
you rock.
Mary 6/16/11
Run, don’t walk to the kitchen and make this scrumptious cake. Made it this morning as I had lots of beautiful strawberries from the Farmer’s Market. Knew I would love it, cakes with brown sugar are just the best, and the cardamom works perfectly with it. I bake with lots of berries, but have not actually baked much with strawberries, usually have them uncooked in shortcakes, etc. I guess I thought they might disintegrate during baking, not the case. My husband commented on the cake when I flipped it out onto the plate, said it was ‘a thing of beauty’. Liked it even more when he got to eat a piece. Thanks for all your great recipes and ideas.
Hi Joy,
So far I have been brave enough to try two of your recipes — both involving strawberries!! I made this upside-down cake and the strawberry and banana bread — both were delicious! I’m making the upside-down cake again at the weekend for Father’s Day! Thanks for sharing!
It looks perfect, i m obsessed with cardamom at the moment…
Crazy tasty! Made it in a square pan with blueberries and some rhubarb. My boys loved it!
Loved it! So did my guests! It was so simple that my little son could help me out! It is quite a stunner to look at too.
Can you say “Om nom nom”?
I totally made this cake today; it’s in my oven now. It’s a pat on the back for getting the oven clean from the prior owners; when they moved out they left it looking like a coal bin inside.
The cake would also be pretty good with nothing but whipped cream or maybe even plain…shh, I tasted the batter when no one was looking. :)
Ooo – delicious! Do you think these could work as muffins? Something about the muffin is always so cute to me. I’m just worried about getting those suckers out of the pan if I try them in a muffin tin. Hmm. Thoughts?
Thanks for sharing, Joy! I’m always excited to see what goodies you have up your sleeve. (Quite literally… you never know when a girl needs her snacks!)
Those berries are calling my name. I love the texture and flavors here. So warm and homey…no pretenses, all flavor. I’m a huge fan.
‘K…just had to check back. I went blueberry picking yesterday…made this last night with them. I have three teenaged kids and a hungry husband. There was not enough. They ate it ALL. I caught the 6’6″ one licking the pan. They asked if I could “PLEASE” make it again for tonight.
Just sayin’.
I made this last night – so easy and sooo yummy! Thanks for another great recipe Joy. I actually had to buy Cardamom for this. I can’t believe I didn’t have any – totally worth it. The cardamom goes so well with the strawberries. I’m now looking forward to fresh peaches later in the summer. I think this would be awesome with peaches!
Has anyone tried this with blueberries?
Ooooh! I love upside-down cakes! Also, hyphens! But I’m an editor, so I guess that’s understandable…kind of. I made a rhubarb/ginger upside-down cake this past weekend, and strawberries are just coming into season here–I will have to try your upside-down creation next!
Cake for breakfast sounds like a wonderful idea :-)
Love the subtle use of cardamom as a flavour.
I just finished making your cake (yes, at 11:00 PM) and it was HEAVENLY!!!!! I’ve never been brave enough to try a recipe like this before, but I will definitely make this one again. I always enjoy your posts. You are amazing… thank you so much!
I just made a strawberry upside-down cake last week – it was delicious!
Oh man, that does look really tasty and really easy to make! By the way, I am missing your videos with you and Jill. I always really, really loved those. Any plans to post any soon?
Oh my goodness. This cake is so delicious I could cry. I made it today as an early Father’s Day present for my dad. He loved it. Even my strawberry-hating Mom (crazy right?) had TWO pieces.
I’m in heaven looking at this cake. Between you and the brown eyed baker, I now have a hankering for strawberries! Strawberries and sugar! Remember when you were little and it was amazing to dip strawberries in a bowl of sugar?? That was one of my favs. Going to have to bookmark this one. xo
Joy- I thought oh no Cardamom, this cake will be gone immediately….I was right. So easy to make, pretty, and the cake……
To the Lady that wanted to leave Cardamom out….Don’t….Joy knows what she’s talking about. Please learn this spice, its excellent. By the way Joy, I had to make a second one, 30 minutes later. They felt they needed another slice, to give me their opinion—they were right, the second piece was just as good as the first, what a hit. My Cafe thanks you…from Maine
I somehow do not have any round cake pans. Do you think a bundt pan would work? Or a 8” square pan? I have all the ingredients! Including delicious strawberries bought from a stand!
i don’t think the bundt pan is a good idea. Definitely go for the square pan instead.
Thanks! I used the square pan and although not as pretty, it was SO delicious! Totally unique. Thanks for the great recipe.
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try this. I have been meaning to make pineapple upside down cake but I like strawberries way more!
I made this last night and it was wonderful, wish there were some left!
…and by blog I mean podcast, of course. :)
Joy, I was listening to your blog the other day, the one where you tell the girl to ditch the guy who doesn’t like cake. I have to admit, my husband and I both HATE cake, so much that we didnt have any at our wedding at all. Instead we did mini-desserts for guests and we cut a strawberry-rhubarb pie to smash in each other’s faces. However, this cake had me thinking maybe I should give cake another hance? No sugary thick icky frosting…check, fresh fruit… check, sour cream and CARDAMOM! holy crap… check check check. I’m going to make this for my Mother-in-law’s birthday this weekend, i’ll let you know how it goes!
you’re trying cake!? you’re amazing. nice!
Hi Joy – Thanks for this great riff on the up-side-down-concept! I made this yesterday and folded in a cup of blueberries right before baking – YUM!!
I just discovered your podcast. Love it! You are both so funny, I hope you continue to podcast! I am looking forward to making recipes from your blog.
You are totally smarter than I am… I recently put up a post on my blog with the word (um, oops, I mean not word) “upsidedown” in the title. OMG. How embarrassing.
I love your recipes that use cardamom. It’s my favorite spice in the whole wide world because it reminds me of my grandmother.
OMG this cake looks fantasticamazingdeliciouswonderful. Will need to be made.
Joy, you have turned me into a baker! Seriously, I used to hate it. Now, I like it. Maybe it will turn into love someday.
Also, I think you would be an awesome English teacher. Kids love it when you say “crap” in class.
This is my favourite plate yet. And beautiful cake! Strawberries are the most overlooked of the baking berries.
ohgod. *dies*
(strawberries = favourite. cardamom = favourite.)
perfect way to use up the strawberries in my CSA!!!!
dearest joy, my freezer is packed to the gills with hulled frozen strawberries from a trip to the farm last week. do you think i could use those, thawed, instead of fresh? or would it be a mushy red mess?
Hm… Might be a little mushy. But see if the berries are easily sliced when thawed. If they hold their shape, it just might work!
aggghhhh—should I make this or the brown butter strawberry bread first? I think I might use peaches as the strawberries in TX died in the 101 heat and drought.
BTW total plate envy
Do you think this would also work as muffins? I may try making them tomorrow! Thank you so much for the fantastic blog- you are a trusted source for delicious recipes.
Muffin without paper liners? Yes!
First off, this cake looks like total yum-city, like pretty much everything else on your blog!
Second, I have a question: I am used to baking with my kitchen aid stand mixer, but I don’t have one at my summer house so now I am a little anxious at making things like this cake or a quick bread, etc. Can it be easily done by hand? Or how about with an electric beater thing?
Thanks :)
Hand mixer or just bowl and wooden spoon would be great! Just use some elbow grease!
looks delicious! Makes me wanna go to the kitchen immediately!
I made it yesterday with a friend of mine, in spite of having a terrible cold (haha, I already feel better this morning for having eaten half of it), and it tasted fantastic ! The cake was moist, fluffly, slightly caramel-ish …. And it was super easy to do too !
Thank you for posting this !
Feel better soon!
OH.MY.GOD!
YUP! YUP! YUP! Totally cooking this cake this week….. why oh why do I NOT have any sour cream in the fridge :(
omg my mouth is watering… I’m thinking cherries on this one :) xo
this sounds so good! LOVE the cardamom <3
First off, the moment I saw this recipe I had to just drop everything and go buy sour cream and cardamom to make this. Second, I love strawberries and I was going to make that strawberry banana bread you posted last week but then I decided I needed to make this cake so the bread will have to wait. I am so glad I made it, just like an hour ago, it was delicious! Of course my didn’t come out quite as pretty as yours. I think it was too hot when I decided to take it out of the pan so it kind of stuck…boo, but oh well it was delicious nonetheless. Thanks! I love your blog, and your podcast is awesome, honestly you’re just awesome!
I’m so glad you liked this! You’re too nice!
The strawberries this season are already so great and all of your recipes are making them look even more appetizing! I want to run to the closest store and buy all of their strawberries! This just looks so delicious!
This was everything I wanted it to be, and more.
Thank you.
PS. I had Plain yogurt at home so I used that instead of sour cream and it was great! I think I’m going to up the cardamom next time too – yum!
Okay, so that cake? It looks absolutely delicious! (my adoration of strawberries may make that a biased opinion – and yes I did just use adoration in that sentence….)
<3 Kiersten
What a lovely cake! And such perfect timing – my uncle and aunt just brought over a HUGE container of fresh strawbs!
A delicious recipe, plus you went to church and whipped us into shape with a grammar lesson – Joy, you win!
I truly love upside-down cake. It’s so simple and delicious. I need to make it more often. I have made cranberry upside-down cake before but I never considered strawberry. This sounds so good
I’m 5 minutes late to everywhere…including church. For sure need to make it out to pick some strawberries this weekend – the supermarket ones just don’t cut it.
Oh, I had plans to be a lazy lounge-about tonight. Hmm…now I have decided to get dressed, go shopping for berries at the AMAZING stand down the street, make this cake, THEN be a lazy lounge-about with a pretty plated topped with this amazing cake in one hand, a TV remote in the other, and Pride and Prejudice on TV. The long version. The cake demands it.
:)
Well, not the whole cake, you know. Just one piece. Maybe two.
I always check your site to see what you are cooking. Your recipes are spot on and incredible. Made this cake tonight. INSANE it was so good! Thanks for sharing!
Okay, I dont feel too great abotu cardamom.. I used it in a chai cupcake and it totally ruined the cupcakes.. do you think it would taste just as good without it?
I just made this and it is delicious! I didn’t have cardamom though, so I substituted 1/4 tsp. ginger, and I threw in 1/8 tsp. cinnamon just for fun. I don’t know how it compares to the original recipe, but I thought it was very yummy!
I am a very very new follower. As in less than a week. As in I only made your Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread today. But if I can just say…
I love you. To the point that I just spent about… three hours just glorifying in the recipies to be looked at and savoured and planned and… eaten. There is so much baking to be done. So much.
If I could send you tulips I would. Who doesn’t like tulips?
Yum! Those strawberries look so good. I’m also feel more comfortable referring to (grammatically correct) upside-down cakes. More of your beautiful plates = love.
This cake looks super good Joy!
you always make the best food! haha :)
and your pictures are always beautiful
I hope you can check my blog :)
i wish i wish i can bake – i mean, i can follow instructions but my roommate (who happens to be a unique grandma who doesnt like her kitchen being used by a 27 year old garlic/onion/fish loving foodie) has all sort of crap in her oven. Joy, thanks for the laughs and the yummy looking pictures!
Great recipe and great timing too as it is strawberry season here in the UK. One for the weekend me thinks :)
do NOT bake this in a springform pan. that is what i learned today. after 2 episodes of ear screeching smoke alarms going off, crying babies, and having to take out a half baked cake to clean the oven for half an hour, it was all worth it. AMAZING! DELICIOUS! It magically erased all the stress I went through to bake this. Will definitely make this again… in a regular 8″ cake pan like you suggested.
Oh no. Oooooh no. I’m sorry about this.
Oh my, that’s looks delicious!!!
HULLO! Why do you do these things to me! This looks amaze-balls and I think I need to make it immediately, oh joy you make me want to ALWAYS stuff my face with cake!
the end!
I’ve never cooked or baked with cardamom, and this looks sooooooo good! I bet it would be good with pears too
I am a lurker here… But I have to say that lately I have wanted to make EVERYTHING you blog. Cinnamon sugar pull apart bread! Churros!! And now this yummy twist on upside-down (see the hyphen?) cake. Plus your writing is very amusing even if you do come up with it in the middle of the night while watching Jerry Maguire… back to lurking
Shut the front door. I am making this tonight.
Your blog is awesome :)
This looks delicious! I made an apple upside down cake for my boyfriends family when they came from Germany a couple of weeks ago. It was my first time meeting them, but I think the cake gave me a BUNCH of brownie points… plus serving your amazing coconut waffles may have helped things too! This looks deeelicious!
yay!! Something else to put cardamom in!! But I only buy salted butter, how much salt should I use in the recipe if I use salted butter? I am making this for my July 4th party and adding a frame of blueberries around the strawbs and a plop of whipped cream in the center (PLOP, that’s a GOOD baking term) for a patriotic flair.. do you think that will work?
*hugs*
Alas! I knew just from reading this post title that I would need to make this cake immediately. I love strawberries. I love cake. Rightside up and upside down. And I love the gorgeous floral fragrance of cardamom. Like really a lot. I bought strawberries at the farmers market on Saturday. Even hunted around for organic ones. And then proceeded to squander them away in granola for breakfast or as a wonderful afternoon snack. And now here I am, Monday, with a fabulous recipe and a mere 3/4 basket of strawberries left. They tease me! I suppose I’ll live.
okay…this will be baked tonight! Thank you! And as with any proper thank you a gift…
https://www.freshmangoes.com/wdb/cgi-bin/wdb.cgi/a1net/recipes/more/383
…there are no words to describe this cake…it’s just awesome! I hope you get a chance to try it sometime. If you do let me know what you think.
Okay so my brother just asked if an eggplant cake would taste good and he’s too shy to post this himself…
brother,
no!!!!
god no.
in other news, i appreciate your imagination. truly.
don’t be so shy! i can’t see you!
love,
joy
I showed my neighbor your blog the other day, and now she adopted a cat. More like ‘found’ if that’s legal. The cat’s name is Strawberry, partially because it’s covered in pinkish fluff. Or as she calls it, a pinkish glow.
I knew you had the strawberry header for a reason! small strawberry kick hun?
I am not too crazy about the cardamon but looove the idea of a strawberry upside down cake. My mom used to make me the pineapple version. Do you think if I omit the cardamon that would be too much of a change?
leave out the cardamom if you’d like. of course!
Joy, I’m so pumped you spiced this little bad boy with cardamom. It’s readily become one of my favorite spices in both sweet and savory things. So with a new found liking for upside-down sweets, this is a must make for me. Thanks for the whoop ass recipe :)
Grammar, schmammar. Spell/grammar check is always angrily highlighting my word usage as well. (And, um, I *was* a writing teacher- eee!) I’m salivating over this cake and putting sour cream on my shopping list immediately. What do you think about zesting a little orange over the whipped cream/top of the cake. Too much with the cardamom flavor?
Thanks for this awesome looking recipe and for laying down some serious grammar knowledge. And I totally support your obsession with strawberries, especially when it results in you posting amazing strawberry related recipes!
love that i’m seeing lots of strawberries here lately! they’re everywhere :).
also, love cardamom. have never had it with strawberries, so now i’m super intrigued!
I just bought strawberries last weekend thinking I would make shortcakes with them but this recipe looks so much better, thanks Joy. I do think this will be breakfast in the morning. :)
Oh my days!!! This has to be one of the most delicously sound, looking and I’m sure tasting, cake I have EVER seen!
This looks and sounds delicious and the pictures make me want to reach out and grab a bite. Yum!
Nom nom nom nom nom.
That is all.
I love the idea of including cardamom. I’ve just started to experiment with it recently, and it’s such a unique spice. I can’t wait to try this cake!
love it. looks gorgeous, and super simple too! i’m a sucker for a brown sugar cake.
Strawberries, cardamom, and brown sugar? I love this cake already and I haven’t even made it yet!
WOW! This looks amazing! I just finished banana cookies and muffins but have a bit of strawberries left. I think I may have to bake again today just for this!
Looks great. My family is obsessed with strawberries and i know they’d love this
Ooooh, this looks amazing! Love the addition of cardamom, yummy! :)
Joy why dost thou torture me ~ you are always posting such deliciously delectable delightful desserts that make me want to bake and every time I succumb and actually give in the urge to whip up one of your creations I am NEVER disappointed with the outcome. Thanks ~ really ~ mmm hmmm ~ no don’t, stop! LOL ;O)
Looks a bit like a tatin pie ^^
Strawberries are delicious!
OMG! This looks great. Strawberry overdose at your blog Joy. Now I have three things to try when strawberry season comes here.
that does look yummy. how long do you think it will hold-up w/o getting soggy? or does it need to be eaten the 1st day?
also i was interested in the strawberry bread you mentioned a couple of posts back – have you posted the recipe for that? if not, are you planning on it? PLEASE!!! if yes, could you point me in the direction of it? THANKS. (i looked in the index and didn’t see it….)
the strawberry balsamic bread? https://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/06/strawberry-balsamic-flatbread/
YUM! I love how the cross-section berries look like they have tree-rings. :)
After i finish my almond Saint james tart i need some “refreshing cake” for the rest of the week; tomorrow morning running to the farmers markets in Brighton!
Wow! Sounds Amazing! I love playing around with upside down recipes, I made a peach cranberry one-it was awesome. I have been trying to think of new ways to use the cardamon that is in my pantry, Can’t wait to try this one out! Thanks Joy!
dagny
this leaves pineapple upside-down cake choking in the road dust! but i did use my trusty P-U cake recipe, exchanging the pineapple for luscious strawberries. i did, also eliminate the cardamom as i am not fond of that flavor. please don’t strip me of my spatula, hot pad & apron & drum me out of the corp, joy!
Major is right. Keep up the good work in strawberry land.
OH, WOW! beautiful and yummy! now I know what to do with the HUGE bushel of berries I just picked up from the farmers market….thank you!
JP
Oh myyyy.
My mouth is actually watering. Yum.
Oh it looks so delicious and moist! I’m curious as to the flavour of caramom, can’t imagine what it is like! PS Discovered your blog via BlogLovin, it is fab!
love this!
Num num! And those strawberries stayed nice and pretty for you too… when they sometimes get brown and ugly and soggy in cakes. yay!
PS – I’m going to add a drizzle of honey over this cake. Strawberries+cardamom+honey = super-yum !
i love the way you think.
i’m sooo making this!
i’m scared of cardamom though,
never tried the spice before but
i’ve been curious about it.
and i also should never ever be
an english teacher i have a bad habit
of not capitalizing my i’s but i’m just
not fond of how capitalized i’s look.
Wow – I have everything I need for this recipe this week. Just bought a pound of luscious Georgia strawberries yesterday, and being from India, I LOVE cardamom – I always keep a bottle in my cupboard. I’m going to make this when I get off work today – thanks Joy ! :)
You are hilarious…lol. I actually think this would taste better than pineapple upside-down cake….then again, that might be because the last one I made that was vegan tasted like something you might find in a box of old people’s belongings at a rummage sale…yeah, that bad.
throw together???? you are amazing. I can’t wait to try this one.
I have an abundance of sour cream and strawberries in my fridge and my 3-week-old just fell asleep. I’m making this right now!! :D
Looks heavenly, Joy! I never heard of a strawberry upside-down cake. I can’t imagine why not. It’s such a lovely cake. I might make this for my honey. He adores strawberries and well…me too. :)
This looks amazing, and simple to make! Can’t wait to try it! Good job Joy!
I’ve never tasted cardamom, so this cake is a good reason for taste it!!!!!
I die. The end.
strawberries + cardamom = YUM!!
Yummy! That looks delicious. I loooooove that it’s strawberry season :D
I love all the fresh berry recipes floating around the blogosphere lately! This looks amazing! Can’t wait to give it a try!!
The only upside-down cake I know is the pineapple variety. Strawberry looks even better!
Cardamom is one of my favorite spices. The aroma of strawberries baking in the oven is amazing. Love the photo of the cake batter not quite covering the strawberries in the pan- nice!
I am so totally going to make this today. But I won’t be using Strawberries because I have this bowl of Marion berries that need to do something. What do you think? Wrong kind of berry?
i think marion berries could work!
oh joy. you’re ridiculous, in a good way. i am for sure making this cake ASAP.
This looks great!! Any tips for cooking at altitude though?? Just moved to the mile high city and am struggling with all my cakes and breads!! thanks!
i’m afraid i am not the one to lead you on this topic. Try the blog, UseRealButter.
Yurm, totally sold. I wonder how this would taste as a mix of strawberry and rhubarb? Probs delicious. You really are my long-lost friend, I’m pretty sure of it.
i bet that would be yummy. for some reason… i’m not about rhubarb these days.
Hey Joy, this looks incredible. Make me want to leap out of bed, and bake until the semi-wee hours. I have been listening to your podcast today and totally loving it. Keep up the good work at being amazing baker and funny woman.
Love Polly
thumbs up!
Way to give Pineapple Upside Down Cake a run for its money! I’ll bet the sweet strawberry flavor is amazing in this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I love the way you cut your strawberries. This looks really moist and tasty. Thanks for the english less too – interesting as well as entertaining!
Yummy! Looks so delicious, fresh and summery!
Yumm! But I love those plates! Especially the leaf one…what is it?
I am SO making this cake. It almost takes an Act of God for me to turn the oven on during the summer in VA, but this just might qualify. THANKS! You rock, Joy.
U never fail to make me smile. Why isn’t upside down one word? there should be a point at which it is acceptable for it to be one word. surely?
this looks like the kind of cake i’d like to make for a boy. If only the boy wasn’t half-way across the world. (should half way be hyphonated? I think probably not??)
Maybe I will just make it for me instead.
:)
Oh my! I am obsessed with cardamom. I often pair it with blueberries. I’ll have to give strawberries a try!! yum!
Joy,
I love you more each day. My husband always wants to know what Joy’s new recipe is each time. You make me smile all day. Thanks for that. Making this delish cake tomorrow for dinner guests!
Hearts – MLS
such a sweet comment!
This looks amazing. Though I’m super interested in making the strawberry balsamic flatbread again. I have enough strawberries for both.
Loving strawberries as well. I just roasted strawberries and now it is all I can really think about. Well roasted strawberries, strawberry smoothies, and strawberries floating in white wine….. I will take them anyway I can get them!
I will be making this today or tomorrow; it looks (and sounds) delicious!! And, I have half a quart (left) of the best strawberries I have ever eaten in the fridge… I love this season in food. Thanks for sharing! :-)
that looks so great!
xoxo,
F
Anyone have any ideas on how bananas would work with this cake. I meaning using both to make a strawberry banana upside down cake
i think bananas would brown in a strange way on this cake.
Mmm brown sugar and sour cream are such the perfect match for strawberries! I used to dip strawberries in sour cream and then brown sugar when I was little – I hadn’t thought about this for ears ‘n’ ears until I saw this recipe.
And how to up it a notch, but with cardamom!
I was looking for something new to make with strawberries. This is it! I know what I will be doing tomorrow!
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Any reason to use cardamom makes me happy.
Upside down cake made with strawberries! Mixed berries? Yum. Looks delicious.
I totally support this….and I am in school to become an English Teacher :)
This looks so delicious. My favorite cake is Pineapple upside down cake, but I might try this with blackberries or blueberries. What do you think? I mean you did give permission!
I love all the stuff you’re doing with strawberries. And I don’t even really know what cardamom is, but I’m excited to use it.
This looks fantastic! I love the 2nd picture. I’m also loving the Podcast. I had to rip the earbuds out of my ears at work the other day so I wouldn’t burst into laughter when I heard the “How to catch a unique bird” joke. Horrible jokes and I get along well.
hahahaa! that’s hilarious!
Now I’m bummed that I tossed my cardamom.
This looks amazing and delicious! I have never tried strawberries this way-until now! Thanks for such a great recipe!
i just made a very similar cake with cranberries i had sitting in the freezer… delicious and so simple – a great Sunday treat :)
Joy, I’m really diggin all these strawberry treats you are baking for us!
sunday is definitely cake-baking time in our house…it’s just the perfect storm of time and ingredients for me!
I have to make this. Right now! :-)
Sundays do seem like the perfect time for cake. Especially a cake with a sturdy crumb. We need a cake with the guts to support us for the upcoming week. ;)
“delicate but sturdy crumb” – nice job on the food words! a hyphen usually saves the say as far as dubious grammar is concerned. so does cake, under all conditions – so you’re covered. looks lovely!
Cardamom is my favorite! Is it weird that I wanted to somehow make a Mother’s Day Card with CardaMOM as some play on words? Maybe next year.
Anyhow, This looks awesome!
I never knw Upside-down was two words. Ooops! ;]
Is the cardamom necessary for this? I don’t have any on hand and want to make this ASAP!
Oh yum. Love the look of this.
Does yoghurt work instead of sour cream? Or is the sour-ness-necessary?
Is mouthwatering a word or two? I don’t care, despite I am a teacher. But not an English one. Mouthwatering is the key word to understand my feelings right now. Joy, you really bring joy to our lifes. And stomachs.
Oh Joy. You must have been listening when I sent you that telepathic message about making an Upside-Down Strawberry Cake with Cardamom. WINNING!
This is SO going to be made today. Or maybe tomorrow… Nope. Today.
Love this! It sounds so tasty :)
Looks wonderful! I had a dessert complimented by cardamom cream the other night and it was fabulous…. I need to pick some up!
I have to agree with Kate – legit reason to be late for church, I’m sure if the priest saw this cake, he would understand (and probably want some…)! It looks beautiful and delicious, I’d love to try this with strawberries AND blueberries (I’m a fan of all things cake and berries!)…
“My point is that this cake is super easy to throw together on a Sunday morning.”
I can *barely* throw together sliced fresh fruit and mircowaved “old fashioned” oats in between hair detangling, butt wiping and Barbie shoe finding projects.
I totally applaud you, and anyone!! who just “throws together” a cake. That looks THIS amazing. Awesome work Joy!
i don’t have babies… throwing together cakes is much easier without babies.
Upside down or right side up this cake is amazing!
Well Wimbledon starts soon and I am always looking for a new twist on stawberrys. Sorry I know you are a long way from London so just to explain in the UK Winbledon Tennis Championships are synonymous with strawberry season.
Dear Joy!
Here raspberries are too many for my family. Some are even getting rotten without being picked.
What do you think about a raspeberry upside-down tart?
mmmh this cake looks fantastic!
I love the idea of combining the sweet taste of strawberries with cardamom and I can imagine this cake holds up really well to the ‘goo’ of the fruit. Yum! Thanks Joy.
This looks absolutely great. I want strawberries right now! Thanks for the recipe.
Love upside-down cakes and this looks great. I’ve been on a baking spree so hope to make one soon!
oh i like it! I like cardamom in sweet stuff, i tried a cardamom coffee crème brulée and it was delcious. have to try this one, maybe with different berries because (alas) i’m allergic to strawberries :(
This looks friggin amazing. Mhmm scrumptious.
Holy friggan’ delicious.
Mmmmm, like strawberry shortcake without the last minute composition! I’m always afraid to bake with strawberries because I’m afraid they’ll make everything too wet…is this the solution, putting them on top instead of in the cake? Would it work with blueberries too? I have made several blueberry coffee cake-type things and they never seemed to get all the way done on the inside because the blueberries leaked and made the batter all wet, then they fell apart later on even though the tops and edges were done. Still tasty, but looked a mess! Maybe this is the solution?
I’m pretty sure that cardamom makes everything better. :) i was late to church, too. I was busy photographing hamburger buns as I rushed out the door. :) Such is the life of a food blogger on her way to an after-church-bbq. :)
Upside-down cakes are everywhere right now, but cardamom makes this totes unique and fantastic-sounding (I should also not be an English teacher). I want some of this cake for breakfast tomorrow! Alsooo that cake batter looks like absolute heaven. And strawberries! I love the look of the sliced strawberries! It’s blackberry time here in Texas…might sub in some of those.
Sold. I’m making this tomorrow.
P.S. This is a legitimate reason to be late for church.
My sister wants somethings raspberry for her birthday Tuesday. Is cardamom a good spice with raspberries?
Cardamom is awesome with pretty much any fruit.
Good to know!