Fruit Cocktail Upside Down Cake

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 02/28/22
fruit cocktail upside-down cake
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 55 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 9 servings
Yield: 1 cake

This upside-down fruit cocktail cake is a spongy, relatively light cake with a fabulous fruity topping. The cake can be made with canned fruit cocktail or about 1 cup of a combination of canned fruits. A combination of peaches, pineapple, and canned sweet dark cherries make a delicious cake. Place some drained stemmed maraschino cherries evenly among the other fruit pieces for an attractive pop of color.

See the variations for a pineapple or peach upside-down cake.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, light or dark, packed

  • 1 1/2 cups fruit cocktail, or assorted chopped canned fruit, well-drained

  • 1 cup cake flour, sifted

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 4 large eggs, separated

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 cup cold water

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat the oven to 325 F / 160 C / Gas 3.

  2. Put the butter in a 9-inch-square baking pan and place it in the oven until the butter has melted. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Spoon the fruit mixture over the brown sugar; set the pan aside.

  3. In a bowl combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or stir the dry mixture until thoroughly blended; set aside.

  4. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the egg yolks to the beaten whites and continue to beat until well blended.

  5. Gradually beat the granulated sugar into the egg mixture.

  6. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg and sugar mixture and then stir in the cold water and vanilla until the batter is well blended.

  7. Pour the batter over the fruit.

  8. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until there is no jiggle in the center.

  9. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

  10. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake. Make sure the cake sides are completely loosened from the pan. Invert the cake onto a large serving plate.

  11. Store leftovers covered, in the refrigerator.

Tip

  • To flip the cake, place the large serving plate over the cake and then turn it upside-down, cake and all. Carefully lift the pan off of the cake. If any fruit remains in the pan, scrape it out onto the top of the cake.

Recipe Variations

  • Pineapple Upside-Down Cake: Instead of fruit cocktail, arrange 9 pineapple slices on the butter and brown sugar mixture in the pan. Place a stemmed maraschino cherry in each pineapple ring. Proceed with the batter preparation and bake as directed.
  • Peach Upside-Down Cake: Arrange peach slices over the butter and brown sugar mixture in the pan. Proceed with the batter preparation and bake as directed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
258 Calories
6g Fat
47g Carbs
4g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories 258
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 180mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 35g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 92mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)