upside-down cake

American  

noun

1. a cake that is baked on a layer of fruit, then turned before serving so that the fruit is on top.

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upside-down cake British  

noun

1. a sponge cake baked with sliced fruit at the bottom, then inverted before serving

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Etymology

Origin of upside-down cake

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

The fruit in a classic upside-down cake caramelizes in a butter and brown sugar mixture that gets poured into the cake pan before anything else is added.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2023

And the truth is, any vessel will make a delicious upside-down cake, but the cast-iron skillet has a few added benefits.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2023

I’d get the pineapple upside-down cake, the bread pudding and the lemon iced pound cake.

From Washington Post • Nov. 14, 2022

Caramelized brown sugar adds complexity to this berry upside-down cake.

From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2022

“Usually I can tell as soon as I meet someone. Like, Amy’s mom there is a pineapple upside-down cake, and her dad is a sour cream coffee cake with a crumbly blueberry center.”

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff