There are so many reasons to bake a cake—birthdays, family get-togethers, office potlucks—and no dinner really feels complete without a dessert or something sweet to end the meal.

Everyone is familiar with the retro pineapple upside-down cake, topped with rings of pineapple baked in a brown sugar glaze with a moist and tender cake below. But upside-down cakes don't have to be limited to just pineapple. Apples, pears and berries all make delicious and beautiful cake toppers. Take time to carefully arrange the fruit; once flipped over, you will be rewarded with a spectacular dessert!

Upside-down cakes need to be inverted shortly after they come out of the oven or the fruit may stick. Place serving platter right side down on top of the cake. Using oven mitts, hold the sides of cake pan and platter together; carefully flip cake onto the serving platter.

Upside-Down Buttermilk Pear Cake
Delicate slices of pear and a rich, gooey caramel sauce are the crowning glories of this moist and tender cake. If any of the caramel and pear topping sticks to the pan, just use the tip of a sharp knife to scrape it back onto the top of the cake.




Photography by Ryan Szulc

Raspberry Upside-Down Cake
Flip over this summery cake to reveal jewel-toned raspberries, the perfect treat when fresh berries are in season. Sweet caramel enhances the juicy fruit.




Photography by Jeff Coulson

Mini Berry Bundt Cakes
These cute raspberry-swirled cakes only reveal their pretty design once they are flipped over. Dusted with icing sugar, they make the perfect addition to any brunch table.




Photograpy by Jodi Pudge

The Ultimate Tarte Tatin
Apples, slowly caramelized in butter and sugar, sit proudly atop this classic French upside-down tart. Traditionally, this tart is baked in a heavy cast-iron pan. Clean and season your pan well to get rid of any savory flavours before baking up the sweet apples.




Photography by Jeff Coulson

Sticky Caramel Apple Buns
These sticky caramel buns—with a hidden apple filling—will make ordinary cinnamon rolls seem boring. You wouldn't even know the dough has a bit of whole wheat flour! Don't wait too long before flipping these buns; the caramel will stick if it gets too cold.


Photography by Jeff Coulson

Caramel Topped Semolina Cake
Sweet caramel surrounds this moist and dense flan-like cake. Not many cakes are made with breakfast cereal, but this one uses wheat semolina (a.k.a. farina), traditionally cooked up in milk for breakfast.



Photography by Jim Norton

Looking for more dessert inspiration? Check out our Baking and Desserts page .