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–+ servings
This Chocolate Upside Down Cake is designed to be made without an electric mixer and tastes great -- perfect if you live on a boat, RV or off the grid.

Grandma Phila's Chocolate Upside Down Cake

This Chocolate Upside Down Cake is designed to be made without an electric mixer and tastes great -- perfect if you live on a boat, RV or off the grid.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 328kcal
Carbs (g): 62

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder see note below
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1½ tablespoons cocoa
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine or vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup nuts

Topping:

  • ½ cup brown sugar if not available, use white and a smidge of honey or molasses
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 cup boiling water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place all cake ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.  Pour into an ungreased 8"x 8" pan (or anything that is reasonably close).  Let sit while you prepare the topping which can be made in the same bowl (scrape the batter into the pan and you don't need to wash the bowl).
  • Mix together topping ingredients and spoon over the mix in the baking pan.  You'll notice that the cake mix will start to float to the surface--that's normal.
  • Bake in a 350° F. oven for 35 minutes. Time it! Cake is done when the top is uniformly dry, although the frosting mixture may bubble around the sides.  Don't overbake!  Allow to cool before serving.
  • To serve, cut cake into pieces and slip a spatula under one slice.  Carefully take it out of the pan and flip it upside down onto a plate--the gooey frosting will now be on top.  Generally not all of the frosting will have come out of the pan.  If this happens, scrape the extra out and smooth it over the top of the slice.

Notes

If you use a smaller pan, the mix will be thicker and you''ll probably have to bake it longer.  An 8" or 9" round pan works well, as does a 9" x 6" pan or even a bread pan.  This recipe doubles well to fill a 9" x 13" pan--baking time is approximately the same.
Be sure to store your baking powder inside a Ziploc bag, taking it out just long enough to measure the amount you need.  Humidity is the enemy of baking powder since it reacts with moisture to raise the batter.  If it has already reacted with moisture in the air, it won't do anything for your batter.  I learned this the hard way, with a very flat cake!
If I make this while underway or in a rolly anchorage, I measure the cup of water for the topping when I put it into the teakettle to heat, then just pour it into the mixing bowl.  Much safer than trying to measure boiling water in a moving boat.
Nutrition Facts
Grandma Phila's Chocolate Upside Down Cake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 328 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 3g15%
Cholesterol 9mg3%
Sodium 111mg5%
Potassium 271mg8%
Carbohydrates 62g21%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 45g50%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 110IU2%
Calcium 85mg9%
Iron 1.8mg10%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.