Hello dear friends! Here is the history of another childhood cake that I really, really LOVE:
My father’s sister (my favorite aunt) had a wild cherry tree in her backyard. It was growing quite close to the house, it was very tall and surpassing the roof of their two-story home. I loved visiting my aunt! I would often stop by her house to have a glass of juice, a treat and to get some auntie love. She would take my hand, lead me through her bedroom to the open window and she would reach out and grab a cherry branch. I would stand there, holding the branch, picking the sweet, little cherries and stuffing them in my mouth. Didn’t wash them either and I am still alive! Can you believe that? 😉
In February of 2004 we moved to our first home here in the U. S. Snow and cold prevented me to explore my backyard and see what’s there, but when the spring came, imagine my surprise! Right in the corner, just a few feet from the house there was a wild cherry tree! God sure works in mysterious ways! Having that wild cherry tree in my yard, almost next to my bedroom window made me feel just a little more at home.
Auntie’s cherry upside down cake is mouth-watering good, moist, lightly sweet and served with vanilla whipped cream on top. Since my wild cherries are not ripe yet, I used bing cherries this time. Nonetheless, it was GOOD, and I mean really, really GOOD! I hope you give it a try while cherries are in season.
Cherry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients:
- 900 g (2 lbs) cherries + 5-10 cherries for the decoration
- 5 TBSP sugar
- 1 vanilla sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 TBSP hot water
- 100 g sugar (1/2 cup)
- 1 vanilla sugar (or 1 TSP vanilla extract)
- 125 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa (OPTIONAL)
- 500 ml (about 2 cups) heavy whipping cream
- sugar and vanilla to taste
Also needed:
- 1 medium cake pan (about 8-9 inch or 20-23 cm)
- Circular piece of parchment paper, 1 -2 inches larger than the pan circumference.
Method:
- Wash and pit the cherries.
- Line the cake pan with parchment paper. You should have about 1-2 inches extra which will line the walls of the pan.
- Place the cherries on the parchment paper and sprinkle with sugar and vanilla sugar. Paper will keep all the cherry juice from running out of the pan and cake will be nice and moist.
- Crack the eggs into the mixer bowl and add 3 TBSP of hot water. Mix at high speed for a minute or two.
- Add sugar and vanilla and mix for two more minutes.
- Combine flour and baking powder, reduce the mixing speed to slow and add the flour to eggs until just combined.
- At this point you can take 1/3 of batter and add 2 TBSP cocoa to it.
- Pour the yellow batter onto cherries, then pour the cocoa batter on the top of it and swirl around a bit with a fork.
- Bake at 365 F (185 C) for about 30 – 35 minutes. Cool completely and then leave in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.
- Whip the heavy cream until dense; add sugar and vanilla after your own taste.
- Invert the cake onto the serving plate, spread with whipped cream and decorate with fresh cherries.
bakingwithsibella.com 
Wow – I can understand why this was your favorite. Yummy – I can’t wait to try it myself! ❤
Thanks Stacy! I hope you try it soon! 🙂
Have missed you! Another masterpiece from the queen of pastry.
Thank you my friend! 😀 I’ve been busy around the house; thousand things to do in the yard; flowers to be planted; veggies to be planted… I hope you are doing well. I have to stop by your blog to see what you have been cooking!
Beautiful, I can see how those cherries will burst with flavour in your mouth. Yum!
Thank you! 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
Oh my gosh Sibella, this is a gorgeous cake! I can’t wait to get my hands on some cherries to try it 🙂
Thank you my friend! You will love this cake! In my house it lasted only a day and a half. 😀
I would certainly love a cherry tree just outside my window that I could reach over and grab a few for a snack. I have just a slight problem as I am living on the 45 floor and they are not grown in Asia but I have seen them in the markets so hopefully can give your cake a try. Your cherry cake is just beautiful and moist and love that marbling effect. Wishing you a delightful weekend. Take Care, BAM
Hi my friend! Wow 45th floor is so high! Being scared of the heights I would not even be able to look through the window.
I hope you will be able to make this cake. It is really, really good.
Have a wonderful weekend my friend! Sending love to you across the big water! 🙂
Oh my. This looks so good. I just picked the one cherry off my one tree yesterday and ate it before the racoons could get it.
Thank you Chef Mimi! 🙂 These are store bought cherries. It looks like we will not have many on our tree this year, it was just to cold out for a long time.
This looks super fresh and delicious! I wish I had some right now. 🙂
Thank you Pamela! 🙂
That is so delicious, I really want to devour this cherrilicious cake 😀
Cheers
CCU
Thank you CCU! If you were any closer I would gladly invite you for some coffee and cake! 😀
This looks like such a delicious cake…it would be perfect for the 4th of July!
Thank Karen, I agree! 🙂
Oh my gosh – this looks insanely fantastic. Beautiful cake – wonderful photographs – and perfect timing because I have a cherry tree in my back yard and the cherries are just starting to ripen. We spent an afternoon struggling to net the tree this weekend in the hopes the birds would not get every last cherry. I am looking forward to making your cake and I am imagining it with dark chocolate curls atop the whipped cream.
Thank you so much! 🙂 I know, we have a problem with birds too…. Last week I made this cake for my coworkers and topped it with dark chocolate curls. They loved it! 🙂
Oh, yum, Sibella! I’d definitely add the cocoa powder. Well done.
Thank you my friend! 🙂
Kako si Sibella. Another great recipe! My MIL and I went to pick cherries cherries this week-26 lbs! She made pita and I made this! Super- not too sweet! Just right:-) I hope you are enjoying your summer!!!
Hello Chep! Nice to hear from you! Dobro sam hvala, kako si ti? 🙂 Awww I am so glad you got to try this recipe! Cherry pita sounds very good too! I would made some jam too with all those cherries. Summer is going pretty great, I hope the same for you! 😀 ❤