Skillet Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake

  in Desserts, Recipes

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup cane sugar
2 to 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (if using frozen, you don’t have to thaw them)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 
1 cup cane sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated zest from 1 lemon

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray the sides of a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
  2. Melt the 3 tablespoons butter and stir in the 1/2 cup sugar in the skillet. Turn heat off and arrange the blueberries on top of the butter sugar mixture.
  3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
  4. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then some of the milk, then another 1/3 of the flour, followed by some of the milk, and then the remaining flour, with the remaining milk. Beat until smooth.
  5. Add the batter in dollops evenly over the blueberries. Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (Place a baking sheet underneath in case the fruit bubbles over.)
  6. Remove from oven and let cool a couple minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, place your cake plate over the cake, and, wearing oven mittens, carefully flip the cake over. It should come right out easily. Don’t let the cake cool too much or it won’t come out of the pan. Serve warm with ice cream, if desired.