Upside-down strawberry and white chocolate cake

Ingredients

• 500 g Fresh strawberries (rinsed, hulled, halved)
• 80 g White sugar (for the strawberries)
• 120 g White sugar (for the batter)
• 30 g Unsalted butter (for greasing the pan)
• 200 g All-purpose flour
• 10 g Baking powder (about 1 packet)
• 3 Eggs (large)
• 200 ml Heavy cream (to heat)
• 200 g Valrhona white chocolate (100 g for the batter, 100 g for decoration)
• 1 bean Vanilla (bean or Valrhona paste) (or 1 teaspoon of paste)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C for about 10 minutes.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: 180°C

2. Butter the pan and melt the butter

   Butter the bottom of the pan, line it with parchment paper, then add 30 g of butter. Bake for 5 minutes to melt the butter.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 180°C

3. Prepare the strawberries

   Rinse the strawberries, remove the stems, halve them and place in a bowl. Add 80 g of sugar and mix until the strawberries are well coated.

   Time: PT5M

4. Initial baking of the strawberries

   Arrange the strawberries, cut side down, on the melted butter. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 °C.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: 180°C

5. Melt the white chocolate

   Bring the cream to a boil (or very hot) in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over 100 g of white chocolate cut into pieces in a bowl and stir until fully melted.

   Time: PT7M

6. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla

   In the same bowl containing the residual sugar, add the remaining 120 g of sugar, the 3 eggs and the vanilla. Whisk vigorously until a fluffy, pale mixture forms.

   Time: PT3M

7. Incorporate the melted chocolate

   Add the melted chocolate‑cream mixture to the egg‑sugar mixture and stir gently.

   Time: PT1M

8. Add flour and leavening

   Sift the flour and baking powder over the mixture and fold in gently with a spatula to avoid deflating the batter.

   Time: PT2M

9. Final bake of the cake

   Pour the batter evenly over the strawberries in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 180 °C until the cake is golden and a knife comes out clean.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: 180°C

10. Cool and unmold

    Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Place a plate over the pan and invert with a firm motion.

    Time: PT15M

11. Decorate with white chocolate

    Melt the remaining 100 g of white chocolate (in a bain‑marie or microwave) and drizzle over the top of the inverted cake.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

350

Protein

5 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

15 g

Fiber

2 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Fresh strawberries: raspberries, blueberries
• Instead of White sugar: cane sugar
• Instead of White sugar: cane sugar
• Instead of Unsalted butter: margarine
• Instead of All-purpose flour: whole wheat flour
• Instead of Baking powder: baking soda + cream of tartar
• Instead of Eggs: organic chicken eggs
• Instead of Heavy cream: cream
• Instead of Valrhona white chocolate: covering white chocolate
• Instead of Vanilla (bean or Valrhona paste): vanilla extract

Equipment Needed

• 20 cm round pan
• Parchment paper
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Spatula (rubber spatula)
• Sieve
• Small saucepan
• Oven
• Cooling rack

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Melt the butter in the oven
• Initial baking of the strawberries
• Melt the white chocolate with hot cream
• Gently fold in the flour and leavening
• Final bake of the cake
• Cool and unmold

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use couverture white chocolate for optimal shine.
• Lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving for an extra decorative touch.
• Serve slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a hot‑cold contrast.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in the refrigerator 2 to 3 days, covered with plastic wrap.

Freezer: Can be frozen up to 1 month, but the strawberry texture will be altered.

Room temperature: Consume within the day, at room temperature.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the strawberries and sugar them the day before, keep refrigerated.
• Melt the white chocolate ahead of time and keep it in a bain‑marie until glazing.
• The batter can be prepared 30 minutes before baking and left at room temperature.