Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Barb Witherspoon's Note:

Recipe from AARP Online News featuring healthier holiday recipes. This one is a little different than the ones already posted on Zaar.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 9

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light-brown sugar
• 3/4 lb cranberries
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• whipped cream (optional) or Cool Whip (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Butter a 9-by-9-inch cake pan.
3. In a small pan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter and the brown sugar and pour the mixture into the bottom of the cake pan.
4. Place the cranberries in the cake pan on top of the melted butter and sugar.
5. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
6. In a mixing bowl, cream the remaining 1/2 cup butter with the sugar.
7. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well.
9. Add the milk alternately with the dry ingredients, folding well after each addition.
10. In a small mixing bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites to soft peaks.
11. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until the peaks hold their shape.
12. Fold the whites into the cake batter.
13. Spread the batter over the fruit in the cake pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes.
14. Remove the cake from the oven and run a small knife around the edges.
15. Let sit for 15 minutes.
16. Invert the cake onto a serving platter and let it sit another 5 minutes, then remove the pan.
17. Serve slices of cake topped with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip, if desired.

Reviews

[BarbryT]

Delicious! A nice light cake with a sweet-tart topping. And easy. I used frozen cranberries which worked just fine. Even better with a bit of whipped cream. :-)

[Maito]

Delicious! Especially the cake. This is exactly the same as Alice Water's recipe, except that she adds 1/4 cup of orange juice over the cranberries (I did it that way). I also halved the butter in the topping. This doesn't disappoint, and is very cranberry-y!