Saturday, October 22, 2011

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Well, I didn't exactly get a photo of this before we dug in.  And once we dug in, well, it was hard to stop.
This is a simple cake -- easy to bake and easy to eat.  It's not overly sweet or decadent, and you could easily get away with serving it with tea in the afternoon.  I served it alone after dinner, and then wished I'd gotten a little vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.  It was lovely and everyone loved it; I just thought it needed a little something!
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
serves 8

Ingredients


  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 3/4 cups cranberries, washed and picked over
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk

  • Directions:
  • 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  
  • 2. Rub 2 Tbsp of the room temperature butter around the bottom and edges of an 8 inch cake pan.  (I found this worked best when I just plunged in with my hands and got messy.)
  • 3. In a small bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cinnamon, and the allspice.  Distribute the sugar mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan.
  • 4. Spread the cranberries in a single layer over the sugar mixture in the cake pan.
  • 5. Using an electric mixture, cream together the remaining butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  • 6. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  • 7. Alternate between the flour mixture and milk, and add both to the liquid ingredients, with the beaters on low.
  • 8. Spoon batter over the cranberries in the pan, and smooth the top.
  • 9. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack.
  • 10. To invert, run a knife along the rim of the pan, and then carefully release onto a plate or cake pedestal.

3 comments:

  1. I bought cranberries this week, I made scones and a chutney and still have a ton left. I might make this today or tomorrow. Looks fantastic!

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  2. This is a perfect Thanksgiving cake! All those gooey cranberries look scrumptious!

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  3. This looks like a great dessert alternative for serving cranberries. So colorful as well!

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