Tart cherries have always been a favorite of mine.
We had two tart cherry trees on the Iowa farm where I grew up. That’s Mom on the right and my big brother Tom near the tree. It looks like they’re sharing a sample of our cherries with a visiting relative.
I’m guessing a big pot of Mom’s cherry dumplings appeared on the menu later that evening. Her cherry dumplings served with heavy cream from our cows was a heavenly summertime dessert.
But pitting those home grown cherries was NOT my favorite summer pastime! The tart cherries always seemed to ripen on the hottest day of the summer, and the sticky juice would run down our arms as we squeezed the stubborn seeds from those tiny red gems. But I will admit the results were well worth the effort since Mom’s desserts were epic!
Door County Means Tart Cherries
Earlier this summer Peepaw and I took a short trip to Door County Wisconsin, known for their abundant tart cherry orchards. We stopped at Falcon Orchard in Sister Bay. That small, family run orchard was overflowing with a ripe crop of tart cherries.
Peepaw grabbed a bucket and he set off to pick some for our picnic later that day.
By the way…that picnic was a great success. No picnic in Wisconsin would be complete without cheese. And no picnic in Door County would be complete without some smoked fish. It was a perfect combination of fresh foods and good wine. And that view!!! (What’s not to love?)
Before we left that orchard I grabbed a notecard with the orchard’s business information. But it wasn’t until we got back home to Iowa that I noticed a recipe on the back of that card. Luckily we had brought back our remaining uneaten tart cherries. That’s when I realized I had just enough cherries left to make this delicious and EASY dessert printed on the notecard.
Now…The Recipe
It started with a cast iron skillet and a simple 9 oz. box of Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix.
Brown sugar and butter are melted together…and topped with pitted cherries.
Next, the prepared cake mix is poured on top and baked.
While the cake was in the oven I combined the reserved cherry juice with some white sugar and I boiled it to reduce the mixture to a thick syrup. (I can’t tell you how much sugar to add since I don’t know how much juice you’ve got. Just taste as you go and add enough sugar to sweeten the juice to your taste.) I poured that mixture over the cake right before serving. The results were delicious! It was a perfect way to use up those fresh cherries after our Door County adventures.
Speaking of cherries…I still have some of these beauties in my freezer from our son’s tree. And after tasting THIS dessert I now know where some of THOSE cherries will end up.
Feel free to substitute several cans of tart cherries from your favorite grocery store if you’re not blessed with a freezer full of fruit.
Yes Dear Readers…this dessert is worth the effort no matter where your cherries come from!
Tart Cherry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 3 Tblsp. Butter (Melted in a 10 inch Cast Iron Skillet)
- 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
- 3 to 4 Cups Tart Cherries (Well Drained) RESERVE JUICE!!!
- 1 9 oz. Jiffy Yellow Cake Mix
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 Cup Cold Water
Instructions
-
Spray Cast Iron Skillet with Cooking Spray.
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Melt Butter In Skillet And Stir In The Brown Sugar
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Add Drained Cherries To The Brown Sugar And Butter Mixture In The Skillet
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In Separate Mixing Bowl Stir Together Dry Cake Mix, Egg and Cold Water. Mix Well.
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Pour Cake Batter Over Cherries, Brown Sugar And Butter In Skillet
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Bake at 350 Degrees For 35-45 Minutes.
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Cool For 5 Minutes, Then Turn Upside Down Onto Serving Plate
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Thicken And Sweeten Reserved Juice To Pour Over Cake When Serving
Oh my goodness, Sister Bay is my favorite place on earth…. I spent every summer there in my youth, up until college actually. My family used to own property up there (bought in the 20’s when it was cheap), but it got too expensive. Sour cherry pie is my favorite food. I will definitely have to try a sour cherry upside down cake.
Thanks for sharing your memory with me Dana! We had a wonderful time in Door County. Check out my Meemaw Eats Facebook page and my Instagram posts to see some of my restaurant highlights and scenery photos from there. And be sure to check out another tart cherry dessert recipe on my website too. It’s my Aunt Ernestine’s recipe…simply called Tart Cherry Dessert. It’s ANOTHER “keeper.” Enjoy!!
XOXO
Meemaw
how much sugar do you put in reserved juice????
Thanks for your question Diane! Just add enough sugar until the juice tastes sweet. Taste as you go!! Since the amount of juice is unknown I can’t give a measured amount of sugar. Just sweeten it until it tastes yummy…then boil the mixture until it begins to thicken. Thanks again for asking the question everyone will want to know! 🙂
XOXO
Meemaw
Blessed you as you were so prompt in your reply…thanks.
You are so welcome!!! 🙂 Let me know how you like it!
XOXO
Meemaw
lip smacking good!!!!
Indeed it is!!! 🙂
XOXO
Meemaw
When I saw this post, I immediately thought of Grandma Ernestine’s cherry dessert! Can’t wait to try this one!!
LOL! Thanks for your comment Kev! As you can see from my answer to another Dear Reader earlier today…Aunt Ernestine’s Tart Cherry Dessert is one of my tried and true tart cherry favorites! (And SHE was a favorite of mine too!)
XOXO
Meemaw
How big is the cast iron skillet?
Hi Phil! Great question! It’s been awhile since I’ve made that yummy dessert, but I believe I use my 12 inch cast iron skillet. (I have many different sizes of cast iron skillets in my cupboard.) Happy Baking!!
XOXO
Meemaw
Simple easy delicious and beautiful cake. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re so very welcome Diane! ENJOY!!
XOXO
Meemaw