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 :)
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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
- 1¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground allspice
- 1¾ cup (175 g) fresh cranberries
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (122 ml) milk
Instructions
- 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 ½ 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 ½ 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!
Wow! Love the look of this. Do you think it would be good with more of a cornmeal/cornbread type base? I love the idea of serving it as more of a savory than a sweet dish with the rest of the Thanksgiving spread…
That’s a good question, you could always try the topping with your favorite cornbread recipe. Let me know how it turns out!
hey browneyedbaker, do you think it would make much of a difference if i use normal butter instead of unsalted?
Sure, just omit the salt in the recipe.
This recipe looks phenomenal! As the weather gets chilly, I am craving all the flavors of fall and cranberry happens to be one of my favorites. I’m a big fan a cranberry and orange together. What do you think about adding orange zest to the cake batter? I also like the idea of embracing the imperfections during the holidays, a time when the pressure for perfection is definitely on! :)
I think some orange would be wonderful!
Oh this cake is definitely going on my Thanksgiving menu! I’m not a fan of pecan or pumpkin pie so I usually just have ice cream for dessert! But THIS is getting made so I can eat it! :)
I’m going to try this next week for a gathering of friends and I think I will try lining the pan with parchment or wax paper, heavily buttered. Maybe that will help the sticking. Hope so because I really want it to look as good as I know it will taste.
Awesome cake batter! Together with the cranberries it is tartly addicting. I plan on making your apple crisp for Thanksgiving. I made this cake following the recipe on my iPhone and I don’t know how you regularly do that! Love your blog though: )
love it..love your blog period!
This looks great…..I love anything with cranberry……yum!
I added a tablespoon of orange zest and substituted the vanilla for orange extract. Wowza!
I was just thinking of this same thing! I LOVE the idea!
wow, this looks great, thanks for sharing!
I love cranberries and this sounds amazing! I’m going to give it a try. Thanks so very much for sharing it!!
This is such a great recipe – I have made it several times over the years, the perfect way to incorporate cranberries into your Thanksgiving Menu!
Wow, this looks amazing! Glad I found your blog – you have so many great recipes. Thanks!
Looks delicious! Congratulations on the Top 9 spot! I love cranberry recipes.
I’m stocking up on cranberries as we speak, so definitely going to keep this recipe in mind for when I start busting out the recipes!
As I was reading your post and admiring the picture I kept thinking….this reminds me of the cake from the martha stewart magazine I have saved from years ago…then I saw it was adapted from her. I guess if it made enough of an impression on me to remember and on YOU to make you weak in the knees…it’s time to make it!
I am making Pumpkin Pie, Apple Pie and Brownie Mint Dessert. I will probably have Ice Cream (maybe Pumpkin) and whipped cream as well as assorted nuts, mints and other tid bits.
Happy Thanksgiving!
What a fantastic dessert for Thanksgiving. Your photos are beautiful. Totally pinning this one!
I can’t wait for Thanksgiving either. I guess I am too excited. This upside down cake is indeed a perfect festive dessert. Everyone will be looking forward to this treat. Happy Holidays! Thanks for posting this!
This may be a silly question and I’m not calling your cake ugly but… Do you think there would be anyway way to make this in a bundt cake pan to make it look prettier?
Hi Kyle, Lori brought that up above. I think it could work. Let me know if you give it a shot!
The cake look amazingly beautiful
I’ve never tasted cranberry cake, but I’d love to try it
Wondering if you could make it in a bunt pan to make it come out like a wreath? I’ve only made pineapple upside down cake once but not sure how it would come out in a tube-type or bunt pan. Anyone know?
Thanks!
Oooh that’s such a pretty idea! Haven’t tried it but would love to know if you do!
Fabulous cake! Pinned & Facebooked :)
Yeesh, just looking at these pictures is making me all hot and bothered. Beautiful cake!
I made this an hour (the time it took the butter to be at room temp) after I read it. I substituted almond extract for the vanilla extract. It was so delicious! Thanks for the recipe. This is something I’d definitely do again.
This looks absolutely incredible. I love cranberries, and I can’t wait to give this a try!
I made this tonight and I justified it by calling it a preview-Thanksgiving dessert….it was wonderful!!!! So easy and quick to pull together! Perfect end for my weeknight dinner!! Thanks, Michelle!
I was just debating whether or not to make this cake again this year, as I’ve made it for the last two Thanksgivings. Just seeing the picture makes me wonder what I was thinking…of course it’s gonna be on the dessert table! Plus, somehow the cake seems to get even the next day as it sits in the fridge, melding the flavors together. Thanks for clarity!!!
I just had to comment to tell you how amazing that looks! I’ve been sitting here staring at it, wondering how soon I can get to the store to buy cranberries so that I can make it! Thanks for the always-amazing recipes!
I love cranberries. I don’t think I’m gonna wait till Thanksgiving to bake myself a cake! Looks and sounds delish! Thanks for sharing Michelle