Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

A fall twist on upside-down cake. The cranberries and orange juice give it a wonderful tangy flavor. I serve it during the fall and at Thanksgiving. From Chez Panisse Fruit.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• Topping

• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3⁄4 cup  packed brown sugar
• 2 3⁄4 cups fresh cranberries
• 1⁄4 cup  orange juice

• Batter

• 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1  cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2  eggs, separated
• 1⁄2 cup  whole milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions

1. Use a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan with 3-inch sides.
2. To make cake topping, place the butter and brown sugar in the cake pan. Place the pan on a stovetop burner over low heat and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the mixture begins to caramelize, turning a slightly darker shade of brown, remove from the heat and let cool. Scatter the cranberries evenly in the bottom of the pan and drizzle in the orange juice. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. To make the cake batter, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
5. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Mix in vanilla.
6. Add the egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
7. Gradually add the dry ingredients and the milk in stages finishing with the last of the dry ingredients.
8. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites and cream of tartar.
9. Beat the whites until they form firm peaks. Fold into the batter in two batches.
10. Pour batter over topping in baking pan and bake until the top is golden and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 50-60 minutes.
11. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream flavored with a little orange liqueur.