Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

T-minus 16 days until Thanksgiving! How is your menu coming along? When I stumbled upon this cake a couple of weeks ago I immediately thought that it would make a great Thanksgiving (or Christmas, if you’re really planning ahead!) dessert; a perfect alternative to the traditional pumpkin and pecan pies. It’s festive and includes traditional flavors, but in a different form. I made a pineapple upside-down cake a couple of summers ago, and absolutely loved it. From the caramelized topping to the moist and buttery cake, I couldn’t wait to experiment with more varieties. The best part? This cake took less than 20 minutes to get into the oven, and uses very little kitchen equipment. This is a weak-in-the-knees cake. Buttery and delicious, topped with sweetly spiced, slightly tart cranberries. The perfect balance of flavors… ’tis the season!
A quick note on the recipe – my cake did stick a little bit on one side when I turned it out of the pan, so I had to push it back together. No biggie. Gives it character (and it tastes just as good!). Just be aware that because of the amount of sugar sitting on the bottom of the cake pan, even with a generous buttering, you could still experience some sticking when you turn the cake out. Embrace the imperfections :)
What are you thinking about serving for Thanksgiving dessert?
One year ago: Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Two years ago: Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients:
- 1ยผ cups all-purpose flour
- 1ยฝ teaspoons baking powder
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ยผ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1ยพ cup fresh cranberries
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ cup milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter (it will be a really thick layer of butter). In a small bowl, stir together ยฝ cup of the granulated sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the cranberries in a single layer on top of the sugar mixture.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and ยฝ cup of granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
- Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake; invert onto a rimmed platter. Store any leftovers at room temperature.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
(Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart)
All images and text ยฉ
That looks great! It’s nice to have an alternative to the regular Thanksgiving pies. Not that I have anything against pies!
I love this twist on a classic upside down cake! It looks so festive, even for a Christmas party too! Just pinned it for my files :)
I love cranberries! I’m honestly not sure how I’ve managed to never make one of these.
That looks so lovely! I have been trying to think about what to bring for Thanksgiving, I may do an apple cranberry crisp that I recently posted on my blog, but can’t decide!
This cake looks beautiful. I was planning to make a pineapple upside down cake – now I will add some cranberries to the pineapple to make it look and taste spectacular.
The cake looks so pretty! I love how bright fresh cranberries are!
this is such a beautiful take on an upside down cake! i love the vibrant color!
Such gorgeous light on that picture of the fresh cranberries. “Embrace the imperfections”… I need to learn to do that with just about every meal I make ;)
These sounds delightful!
The recipie looks delightful! Always looking for something new and unexpected. Thanks.
I am making Pumpkin Creme Brulee and Apple Crisp with Caramel Sauce.
I’ve never made an upside down cake before, maybe i’ll pull one out for Thanksgiving!
I am making a glorious gingerbread pumpkin trifle, and your Chunky Pecan Pie bars!
Perfect for thanksgiving, I love upside down cakes and just made an orange one. This looks such a great colour.
What a beautiful recipe this is. So perfect for the holidays. Looks delicious.
God what a jewel of a cake! Gorgeous :)
That looks wonderful. I love how jewel like and glossy the cranberries are.
Oh wow…I am definitely making this for our Thanksgiving! If I can wait that long. Thank you for sharing, looks absolutely delish.
Slurp…..that’s all I gotta say!!!
This recipe sounds awesome! Do you think margarine could be substituted for the butter?
Hi Rachel, I never cook or bake with margarine, so I couldn’t say for sure. The butter gives it fabulous flavor though, I highly recommend using that.
I love cranberries! We had our Thanksgiving last month but I think I am going to make this cake anyway! YUM!
Why do I love cranberries?