The original Summer Savoury Upside Down Cake recipe. Cheesy, herb-infused, gluten free courgette sponge, baked ‘upside-down’ with colourful Mediterranean vegetables. A showstopper of a savoury cake.
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The Original gluten free Summer Savoury Upside Down Cake
My Savoury Upside Down Cake is one of my proudest gluten free blog recipes. First posted in 2014, it was (at that time) the only savoury upside down cake that I could find on the internet. It was a creative moment! Innovative, original and utterly delicious.
It is also absolutely beautiful… The upside down Mediterranean vegetable base is vibrant and colourful. It brings with it instant intrigue and interest with anyone who sees or tries it. And would definitely be a prize candidate for ‘showstopper’ in any savoury category.
Tempted?
What is an upside down cake?
Quite simply… An upside down cake is a cake baked with a layer of ‘toppings’ arranged in a pattern at the base of the pan. The cake batter fills the pan and after baking, the cake is turned out upside down to serve… This reveals the fruit or (in this case) veg baked underneath.
Traditionally, upside down cakes have been baked sweet and with fruit… The iconic Pineapple Upside Down Cake dessert of the 1970’s perhaps being the most well-known. However, there are many variations. And at Gluten Free Alchemist, we have some utterly delicious alternatives… With our popular Cherry Upside Down Cake and Rhubarb Upside Down Cake being up there with the best. But we can also offer delicious recipes for a Mocha Pear Upside Down Cake, a Plum Upside Down Cake with Blueberries and even a vibrant Peach Melba version too.
What is a Savoury cake?
Savoury cake may seem an unusual concept. Think ‘cake’ and it conjures sweet, spongy, iced and fruity images. But it doesn’t have to be… After all, there are plenty of savoury muffins out there. So why not make a savoury cake that is large and sharable?
As a cake batter, the principles of a savoury cake are no different to a sweet cake. The main difference is that the mix has all sugar removed. With alternative, more savoury flavours taking its place.
Making a perfect gluten free sponge for a Savoury Upside Down Cake
Developing a good sponge for a Savoury Upside Down Cake is not as straight forward as it sounds… It needs a structure that is flavoursome and moist, yet holds together well… And that is able to manage soaking up the moisture from the baking vegetables without becoming ‘mushy’.
For a more interesting texture and enough density to offer structure and support, this particular savoury sponge is made with a combination of gluten free flour and polenta (cornmeal). The addition of cheese and Mediterranean herbs (finely chopped fresh oregano and basil), along with grated courgette and a little yoghurt ensure not only depth of flavour, but also moistness and lasting softness.
It is the perfect sponge for holding and baking-in the beautiful veg that is turned out in all its glory once cooked.
Choosing the perfect Mediterranean veg to ‘top’ it
The veg criteria for making my amazing gluten free Savoury Upside Down Cake was simple… It should speak of a Mediterranean summer, look ‘fancy’ and mimic all the prettiness of its sweet fruit upside-down cousin.
The vegetables needed to be bright, succulent and juicy, but also to bake without releasing so much liquid that the sponge became ‘wet’. In the end, I chose beautiful peppers (red, yellow and orange), sweetcorn, roasted red onion and savoury olives… All nestled into rich, red, pre-roasted home-grown cherry tomatoes.
Can I vary the ‘toppings’ used for Savoury Upside Down Cake?
Absolutely, yes. It’s fine to vary the veg used and even add in a little bacon, sausage, pepperoni or fish!… But… Because this is an upside down cake, it is important to factor in the time needed to cook the veg and additions. And to take account of the liquid likely to be released.
To solve both these ‘issues’, it is worth pre-roasting the veg used and then draining any excess liquid before adding to the cake tin. And if adding meat, etc that requires lengthy cooking or might release a lot of fat, to do the same here too.
Is this gluten free Savoury Upside Down Cake healthy?
Oh yes! This is quite probably the healthiest cake I’ve ever made. It’s packed full of great stuff from a load of veggies, through to protein-packed cheese, eggs, milk and yoghurt and a balanced level of carbs and fat. It’s a meal in itself. And a fabulous alternative to other dishes you might serve at lunch, picnics, etc… Scrumptious either hot or cold.
What flour should I use to make this gluten free savoury cake?
The flour blend used to make this savoury cake is a combination of a plain gluten free flour blend and fine ground polenta (cornmeal). While it is important to use the polenta to ensure a good texture and structure that is fit for purpose, the actual flour blend is probably flexible.
I have made the cake with both my white Gluten Free Alchemist Blend A and my Rice Free Blend B. Both have worked well. So, I suspect the cake will still be good with your usual blend.
Ready to make Gluten Free Summer Savoury Upside Down Cake?
I think that’s all you need to know… If you have any other questions, just ask in the comments below.
If you do make this Savoury Upside Down Cake, I’d love to know how you got on… Leave a comment, rate the recipe and/or tag me on social media… You’ll always find me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.
And for lots of other gluten free inspiration, check out our Gluten Free Recipe Index… Everything’s in photos, so be ready to drool…
Thanks for visiting Gluten Free Alchemist. Happy Baking lovely people
If you love this, you might like…
Savoury Upside Down Cake (with Mediterranean Veg)
Key equipment
- Oven
- oven-proof dishes
- sharp vegetable knife
- 9 inch baking tin
- sieve
Ingredients
Mediterranean Veg 'topping'
- 400 g cherry tomatoes halved
- 150 g peppers yellow, orange and red (I used sweet mini peppers) – deseeded and sliced
- 1 small red onion peeled and thinly sliced
- salt and olive oil for roasting the veg
- 4 to 5 olives green or black – pitted and sliced
- 1½ tbsp sweetcorn kernels fresh or frozen
Savoury Cake Batter
- 160 g plain gluten free flour blend Tested with both Gluten Free Alchemist White Blend A and Rice-Free Flour Blend B. See NOTES)
- 160 g fine-ground polenta cornmeal
- 1 tsp xanthan gum or 2 tsp psyllium husk
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp fresh oregano (heaped) finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 2 tsp fresh basil finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 130 g mature Cheddar cheese grated
- 3 large eggs UK large (Canadian ‘Extra Large’; Australian ‘Jumbo’; and US ‘Extra or Very Large’)
- 90 ml olive oil
- 150 ml plain yoghurt
- 130 ml/g milk (depending on flour blend used, this may need to be fractionally increased)
- 1 medium courgette grated and drained
Instructions
Roasted Mediterranean Veg
- Pre-heat the oven to 220 C/425 F/Gas 7.
- Roast the halved tomatoes, sliced onions and sliced peppers (separately) (NOT the olives or sweetcorn) in roasting dishes in the oven with a sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, stirring intermittently, for 30 to 40 minutes or until they begin to char slightly on the edges.
- Remove from the oven, set aside and cool while you make the cake batter.
Savoury Cake
- Turn the oven down to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Either base line (with baking paper) a 9 inch cake tin (square or round)… OR I used a silicone cake mould.
- Weigh and mix together the flour, polenta, xanthan gum (or psyllium husk), baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and pepper, making sure any lumps are completely broken down (TIP: weigh into an airtight container and shake vigorously).
- Add the herbs and cheese and stir through.
- Lightly whisk the eggs, oil, yoghurt and milk together until light, airy and evenly blended.
- Add the grated courgette and fold to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and fold until evenly mixed.
- Arrange the vegetables on the base of the cake tin – olives and sweetcorn, followed by peppers and onion.
- Lastly, drain the excess juice from the roasted tomatoes, before also placing them in the base of the tin on top of the other veg.
- Spoon the cake batter on top of the vegetables and smooth the top (should you have any excess batter, use to make small muffins).
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (15-20 minutes for muffins) until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin to cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out 'upside down' onto a plate.
- Serve warm or cold.
Notes
Nutrition
© 2019-2023 Kate Dowse All Rights Reserved – Do not copy or re-publish this recipe or any part of this recipe on any other blog, on social media or in a publication without the express permission of Gluten Free Alchemist
Looks delicious!! Could I leave out the cheddar and use a plant based yoghurt instead of ‘normal’ yoghurt? Can’t eat dairy as well as being GF. Thanks!
Hi there
Apologies… I thought I had replied to this comment. I may have done so by email or SM??
Either way… Yes. If you use plant-based yoghurt and leave out the cheese, the recipe should still work.
Best wishes x
Please could I ask how I would adjust this recipe to use not gluten free flour? It looks wonderful. Thank you so much xxx
Hi Rachel.
For health reasons, I have not tried making it with wheat flour… But it should be easy to make that way.
You’d need to remove the xanthan gum from the recipe…
I would also try without the bicarbonate of soda (wheat baking needs less ‘push’)
And possibly reduce the liquid levels slightly (as wheat flour needs less hydration).
I hope that helps xx
Family are like ‘what you making?’ ‘cake’ I reply. ‘are you sure?’ ‘yep!’
We have long debates about pizza/ Greek are essentially the same thing just one is all put together and the other is all separate. This will no doubt start another debate!
😂 Yep! But whatever you call it… It’s perfect for summer xx
This looks so good. Definitely gonna try it.
Thank you so much. Enjoy x
You know when you see a recipe and you kick yourself for not having thought of it….?!
Ha ha! Yep… Happens to me all the time. But I’m super-proud of this one! xx
Wow – what a totally genius idea – LOVE IT! Eb 🙂
Thank you Eb. I was super-proud of this one xxx
I love the idea of swapping sweet for savoury flavours and given I have a savoury tooth this is right up my street. Great combination of cheese and fresh herbs in the base too. Fantastic recipe.
Thank you Lesley. It is definitely one of my most innovative moments and I’ve loved it ever since xx
Thanks Marco x
This looks amazing! I will definately give it a try!I hope I will manage as I am not a great cook!
Thank You Johanna. It's not a difficult bake and definitely worth having a go. I often thing being good at cooking and baking could be helped by how we think. When I am having a down day and think I am no good, I can't bake anything…. Think 'I can do this'!!!!
Wow Kate I am going to be thinking about this cake for ages. What fabulous flavour combos with lots of wonderful sticky bits. Am so going to pin…..seriously clever
Thanks Jenny. It is one of my favourites! and so versatile too…. xx
That looks totally amazing -pinned this one!! I'd love to have you share this at the What's for Dinner party on my blog!
http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-150/
Aww thanks! Bit late in catching comments this week….. I'll link to the latest link-up if that's ok? Not one I've seen before, so thank you for letting me know about it. x
So glad you joined us. I love your narrative about this dish. You really flavored it with your words.
I'm so happy you joined our party. I hope you come back tomorrow for the new hop!
I like savory cakes more than sweet and this is right up my alley.
Thanks Balvinder. It was rather tasty! x
What a brilliant idea – LOVE it!!! I have never, ever seen or tasted a savour upside-down cake, and now I am wondering why it's not a thing – pure genius!! Eb x
'Pure genius' you say??? I'll take that! Thanks Eb xx
Very cool recipe! I can't wait to try this out. Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Thanks you. You're welcome. I hope you enjoy too x
You're an absolute genius for coming up with this savoury upside down cake. I love it! When I was younger, U would always make savoury loaves with olives, cheese and ham and you've made me crave that 🙂 Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Thanks Mel….. Somehow a savoury upside down cake seemed perfectly logical! It makes such a change from bread….. and with its wholegrain flours, polenta, cheese and courgette baked into the sponge is full of goodness too. x
Love this savoury cake idea, I am really into savoury bakes lately too. Who says cakes have to be sweet? Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare!
Thanks Monika. I'm pleased to hear that it is not just me having a savoury bake moment! A good savoury cake can beat the pants off a sweet one…. And it make s such change from bread. x
I'm sure you know how much I love upside down cakes Kate, I'm so impressed with this savoury version – it's absolutely inspired. I just love all of those beautiful colours 'decorating' the top once it's turned out and the side profile shot once it's been sliced into look even more tempting – if that's at all possible. Thankyou for sharing with #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
Thank you Angela. It was one of my better creative moments! And definitely a keeper xx
wow what a clever take on such a classic sweet pudding cake! you have made it look and sound so delicious and it is so unique too. perfect for picnics or with a salad for dinner. thank you for sharing with #Bakeoftheweek x
Thanks Jenny. I was rather pleased with myself for coming up with it. It would have been wrong to keep it to myself! x
I've never heard of a savoury cake but it looks delicious, what a great idea!
Ha ha! Pleased to surprise you Cat. And yes…. delicious for sure! x
This looks delicious! A savoury cake is so unusual but I'm sure it would be perfect for summer – I could definitely see myself packing some of this up into a picnic! Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice! x
Thanks Corina. I'm never too sure why there aren't more savoury cakes around. It seems logical to me…. x
What a fantastic and versatile recipe! Definitely a great addition to any summery al fresco buffet. I love how light and fluffy the sponge is and considering all the veggie goodness I think it's reasonable that one would want more than just a single slice 🙂 Thank you for sharing with #BakingCrumbs 🙂 xx
Thanks Jo. You're welcome. It's so good for outside eating and absolutely full of veggie goodness. x
I am seriously impressed by this recipe! Well done! I would like a great big slice of this just now please 🙂 Thank you for sharing with Simple and in Season
Thanks Elizabeth. I was really pleased with it!
I really love this. It's such an inspired choice to use polenta and turn it upside down. The topping is just so pretty. Challenge complete!
Thanks Ness….. Challenge complete! Thanks for inspiring me!!
I LOVE recipes like this Kate as I am a savoury head! I LOVE the topping and also your mix of ingredients – this is such a great recipe! Karen
Thank you Karen. I was pretty pleased with myself for coming up with it… But it's always great when someone else likes it too! Your comments are much appreciated!
What a fantastic idea, I've never seen anything like this before. It would be great for sharing on a picnic! Thanks for entering Alphabakes.
I couldn't find anything like it on the internet either. But it was so good it needed to be shared! And yes…. perfect for a picnic!
Looks delicious. Looks like a cross between cake, pizza and scone. Would love to try it. I've seen savoury cakes in France, but you never seen them over here. Love it allows you to eat cake for lunch 🙂
Thanks Katie. You must try this! It was so delicious and there are so many variations to try. Eating cake for lunch is quite amusing too!
Wow, you've managed to squeeze it in to SO many challenges! I think you deserve a medal to have got in so many 🙂
PS it looks delish, really moist & yummy.
Janie x
Ha! Definitely more luck than judgement Janie. Somehow, it just seemed to fit a whole bunch of them…. which is great as I have had less time this month!
OMG, love it love it love it. I am so gonna make this (perhaps with a different topping) but still gonna bookmark to make. So gorgeous. I agreee, great alternative to pizza and much more healthier too. Thans for sharing #VegetablePalette
You're welcome Shaheen and thank you! I have so many plans for adaptations on this one…….. Let me know how it goes for you!
Wow just wow. That is an amazing looking cake – so beautiful with such vibrant colours and flavours. I am really impressed with your idea which is absolutely brilliant. I really wish I could have a slice so I will just have to make it myself soon. Thanks for entering Alphabakes and well done on all the multiple challenge entry 🙂
Thanks Ros….. It was one of those inspirational moments which just worked! I will be making this on a regular basis. It went down a storm in our house!