Monday, June 11, 2012

Strawberry Upside Down Cake


It's summer and lots of my favorite berries are in season...strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, & raspberries. What better way to take advantage of these delicious fruits than by baking with them?

I found a photograph of this cake on Pinterest, which then took me to a site called TricksChefs.com  When I saw that it only called for four ingredients, baby, I HAD to try it!  The simplicity of the recipe reminded me of the kinds of desserts you'd find at a family picnic. You know what I mean.  There's always some aunt or relative that shows up with something she baked that looks like it's made from scratch and then you find out it's a super simple recipe full of short cuts. But hey, who cares as long as it tastes good!  If ever you're in a hurry to throw something together for a picnic or family gathering and you want it to be a hit, try baking this.

Ingredients:
2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
1 (6 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
3 cups miniature marshmellows
1 (18 ounce) yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Spread crushed strawberries on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Evenly sprinkle strawberries with dry gelatin powder.


Top with miniature marshmellows.


Prepare cake mix according to directions on the package.  Spread batter evenly over marshmellows.


Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow cake to cool then run a knife around the pan to loosen cake from the sides. Turn cake out onto a serving tray.  Store cake in the refrigerator.

I took these photographs while the cake was still warm.  As you can see, the juices from the strawberry drip beautifully over the cake like glaze.  Once you refrigerate it though, the gelatin sets and it's a tiny bit firm. So, if you're going to bake it for a party or a picnic, bake it the same day so it'll be pretty like this.  If you decide to bake it the day before and refrigerate it, don't worry, it'll still taste good but just won't be as pretty.



ENJOY!!