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You’ve heard of pineapple upside down cake, but have you ever tried a chocolate upside down cake? This rich and delicious chocolate upside down cake recipe can be made either on the stovetop or in the oven!

I feel like I should not be posting cake right now, since I’ve spent the last week eating it! We celebrated Hattie’s birthday last week with family, then had her party on the weekend. Both events involved cake, and there was leftover cake after both as well! You can’t have too much cake though, right? Right?!

This chocolate upside down cake needed to be posted this week even with all the cake eating! I have been testing it over the past month and I have been so excited to finalize it and get it up on the blog! The cake is actually a stovetop cake, which I had never done before! How cool is that?

chocolate upside down cake

What is a chocolate upside down cake?

It’s basically chocolate cake, but one that’s been flipped upside down after baking. The result is a soft, rich and delicious cake with a lovely gooey top. The gooey top comes from boiling water being poured over the cake batter prior to baking. Through the baking process, it creates a sticky delicious bottom (which eventually becomes the top)!

How do you bake a cake on the stove?

I had never tried a cake on the stovetop before this recipe, but now I’m eager to try a few other versions! It’s definitely a good idea for when the weather is hot and you don’t want to turn on the oven.

Basically, you bake the cake in a pan on the stove, using the steam from boiling water to bake it. Once it has cooled down for about 10 minutes, you can flip the cake out on to a serving platter.

I use my flipping platter from Our Place but you could really use any serving platter.

How do you make this stovetop chocolate upside down cake?

There are very few ingredients involved in this cake! You’ll need:

  • all-purpose flour
  • granulated sugar
  • cocoa powder
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • boiling water

Topping:

  • sugar
  • brown sugar
  • cocoa powder

Instructions for Chocolate Upside Down Cake:

1. Start this cake by mixing together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Sift the ingredients to ensure there are no big lumps of cocoa powder.

2. Add the milk and vanilla to the mixture and gently stir. Microwave the chocolate chips on high, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until smooth and glossy. Add the melted chocolate to the batter and stir until just combined.

3. Spray a 10-11″ pan with nonstick spray, then empty the batter into the bottom of the pan. The batter will be thick so you’ll need to use a spoon to gently spread the batter around. Mix together the topping ingredients then sprinkle the top of the cake with the topping.

4. Pour the boiling water all around the edges of the cake and over the top. Place a lid on the pan then place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Keep the heat consistent at low-medium temperature to ensure the bottom of the cake does not burn.

5. The cake is done after about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges should be slightly pulling away from the sides. Remove the cake from the heat then allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

chocolate upside down cake

6. Place a serving platter (or flipping platter) on top of the cake, then with one swift motion, flip the pan upside down on to the serving platter. Give it a few thumps on the bottom of the pan to make sure it has released from the pan, then lift the pan away.

7. Heat up 1/2 cup heavy cream either in a saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave, then add 1 cup of chocolate chips to the warmed cream. Let it sit for 1 minute, then continuously stir until the chocolate ganache is silky smooth. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, then serve immediately!

chocolate upside down cake

Is this chocolate upside down cake recipe vegan?

While I do use full dairy chocolate chips in my recipe, all you’d have to change to make this cake vegan is to use vegan chocolate chips, and to use a dairy free milk for the batter. The ganache on top should also be made with a dairy free milk. I like to use full fat coconut milk!

Should you serve this cake warm or at room temperature?

The cake is SO good warm, but will be gooey and hard to cut. Serving it at room temperature will ensure the ganache has hardened and it will make the cake much easier to cut. So, the decision is totally up to you!

Leftover cake will keep at room temperature, for about 2-3 days in an airtight container. You can also freeze the upside down cake, prior to adding the ganache, for up to 2 months.

Some of my other favorite cakes from the blog that I know you’ll love:

chocolate upside down cake
chocolate upside down cake
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chocolate upside down cake

Chocolate Upside Down Cake


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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Katherine | Love In My Oven
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 56 servings 1x

Description

You’ve heard of pineapple upside down cake, but have you ever tried a chocolate upside down cake? This rich and delicious chocolate upside down cake recipe can be made either on the stovetop or in the oven! 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup milk*
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
  • 3/4 cup boiling water

Topping

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder

Ganache

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Spray a 10-11″ pan with nonstick spray and set aside. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Sift the ingredients to ensure there are no big lumps of cocoa powder.
  2. Add the milk and vanilla to the mixture and gently stir. Microwave the chocolate chips on high, for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between until smooth and glossy. Add the melted chocolate to the batter and stir until just combined.
  3. Empty the batter into the bottom of the pan. The batter will be thick, so use a spoon to gently spread the batter around. Mix together the topping ingredients in a small bowl, then sprinkle the top of the cake with the topping.
  4. Pour the boiling water all around the edges of the cake and over the top. Place a lid on the pan, then place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Keep the heat consistent at low-medium temperature to ensure the bottom of the cake does not burn.
  5. The cake will be done after about 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges should be slightly pulling away from the sides. Remove the cake from the heat then allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Place a serving platter (or flipping platter) on top of the cake, then with one swift motion, flip the pan upside down on to the serving platter. Give it a few thumps on the bottom of the pan to make sure it has released from the pan, then lift the pan away
  7. Make the ganache. Heat up the heavy cream either in a saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave, then add the chocolate chips to the warmed cream. Let it sit for 1 minute, then continuously stir until the chocolate ganache is silky smooth. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, then serve immediately or allow it to come to room temperature completely before serving.

     

Leftover cake can be stored in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. You can also store the completely cooled cake (prior to the ganache) in the freezer, in an airtight container, for up to 2 months. 

Notes

*Use dairy free milk and dairy free chocolate chips for a vegan version of this cake. Coconut milk is best for the ganache.

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: cake
  • Method: stovetop
  • Cuisine: american
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Chocolate Upside Down CakeChocolate Upside Down Cake

About Katherine

Heeey! Thank you for stopping by! I like 30-minute dinners and giant peanut butter cups made with only 3 ingredients. I LOVE food! If you do too, you're in the right place.

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3 Comments

  1. I’m definitely familiar with a Fruit upside down cakes, but a chocolate upside down cake? That’s genius! The texture of this cake is wonderful, and I love its exterior, too. And no, I’m not waiting until it cools and easy to slice – I’m grabbing a large spoon and enjoying it right away! Lol