The Ultimate Upside Down Cake

There’s never a time in which a meal would not be improved by cake! This recipe is truly your go-to equation for a last minute sweet that can highlight whatever seasonal fruit you have on hand. Here’s how it goes: fresh fruit, a quick caramel and the easiest cake batter that you’ve ever made. We stocked up on all our pantry staples like flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, so you can honestly throw this cake together right before your next dinner party and have it ready to flip by the time you’re done with your main course.

In this version, the first batch of ripe peaches of summer are sliced up at the bottom of a deep 8-inch cake pan, but you can easily swap out sliced figs, halved strawberries or whole blueberries for an equally stunning summer dessert (or pivot to apples and pears once fall comes around!). Then brush up your caramel skills, which couldn’t be easier to make, since it’s just sugar and a little water cooked until amber. Just don’t stir the caramel or it will crystalize; stick to shaking or swirling the pan if there are areas getting darker faster than others.