Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Submitted by jacknalecsmom

"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: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 13
• 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.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

Had intended to share this with some a neighbor couple (glad that I didn't tell them so beforehand, though!) but by the time my other half & I were done with it there wasn't all that much to share! GREAT TASTING DESSERT, & we particularly enjoyed it topped with a thin layer of frozen-but-softened vanilla yogurt! Most definitely a keeper of a recipe! [Tagged, made & reviewed as part of my theme ~ Down-Side Up! ~ in the current My 3 Chefs event]

 

[Susie in Texas]

I had a pkg. of cranberries in the freezer and needed to use them. I let them thaw first and then I followed this recipe exactly. I used a 9-inch round cake pan but I only baked the cake for 40 minutes because it tested done at that time. After taking out of the oven, I ran a knife around the edges to be sure it didn't stick then immediately flipped it over onto my cake plate. The cranberry topping bakes into a gorgeous ruby red color that looks and tastes delicious! It is cooling right now. Can't wait to serve this for dessert tonite. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I will be making this cake again when fresh cranberries are back in season.