This Southern upside down chocolate cake recipe is like magic

A moist chocolate cake with a rich fudgy frosting sounds like it would take a lot of steps to make, right? But the recipe below is like magic. Mix up the cake batter and put it in a cake pan. Sprinkle the topping mixture—sugar, cocoa powder, and hot water—over the batter and bake. Voila! You end up with two distinct layers—cake and topping.

This cake makes a great birthday cake, especially when it is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Or try topping it with fresh raspberries or sliced strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream for a pretty presentation.

Upside Down Chocolate Cake

15 minutes

35 minutes

50 minutes

For the cake

Butter for greasing the pan

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the toping

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a microwave-safe dish, combine the 2 tablespoons butter and the chocolate and heat in the microwave on 50 percent power in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth.

Stir the milk, vanilla, and the melted chocolate-butter mixture into the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth with a spatula into an even layer.

For the topping, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder and sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cake batter in the pan. Pour the boiling water over the top (do not stir).

Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for just a few minutes. While the cake is still hot, invert it onto a cake plate. If any of the topping is left in the pan, scoop it out with a spatula and spread it over the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.