Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

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Celebrate the season with this impressive cranberry upside-down cake! It’s an excellent choice for a Thanksgiving dinner dessert table. The cranberries, with their tart and sweet flavor, contrast beautifully with the moist vanilla cake.

It’s a beautiful holiday dessert with a bright, tangy fruit layer and a soft, tender vanilla cake underneath. Fresh or frozen cranberries caramelize with brown sugar and butter, creating a glossy topping once the cake is inverted.

It’s simple to assemble and festive enough for holiday gatherings, special occasions, or anytime you need a dessert that feels elegant without being complicated. Serve cranberry upside-down cake with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a big scoop of ice cream.

Ingredient Notes

• Cranberries: Fresh or thawed frozen cranberries both work well; the tart flavor balances the caramel topping.
• Brown sugar and butter: Create a caramel-like base that turns into the topping when inverted.
• Orange zest and juice: Add brightness and complement the cranberries.
• Eggs: The separated eggs help give the cake a light texture.
• Flour, baking powder, and salt: Standard cake structure—use aluminum-free baking powder if possible.
• Butter and granulated sugar: Creamed together for a tender crumb.
• Vanilla: Adds warmth and flavor to the cake.
• Milk: Helps create a smooth batter.
• Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites for better lift.

Steps to Make Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

1. Prepare the cranberry topping by melting butter and brown sugar in the cake pan.
2. Toss cranberries with orange zest and juice and spread over the sugar mixture.
3. Mix the dry ingredients and set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg yolks and vanilla.
5. Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately, mixing just until blended.
6. Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks and fold into the batter.
7. Spread the batter over the cranberries.
8. Bake until a tester comes out clean.
9. Cool briefly, then invert onto a serving plate.

Recipe Variations

• Cranberry-apple topping. Add a handful of finely diced apples with the cranberries.
• Nutty version. Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the cranberry mixture.
• Spiced cake. Add cinnamon or cardamom to the batter for warm holiday flavor.
• Orange-forward. Add extra zest or a teaspoon of orange extract for a bolder citrus note.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Pair with coffee, tea, or holiday brunch dishes.
• Slice carefully to keep the cranberry topping intact.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Diana Rattray

A cranberry upside-down cake is the perfect elegant dessert for a holiday get-together!

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Servings 10 to 12 servings

Calories 371

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Ingredients

  

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For the Cranberries

• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 ¼ cups cranberries, about 8 ounces, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 tbsp orange zest, (from 1 medium orange)
• 4 to 5 tbsp orange juice, (from 1 medium orange)

For the Cake

• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar (for the egg whites)

Recommended Equipment

• 9-inch round cake pan
• Electric hand mixer
• Cooling racks

Instructions

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• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine the brown sugar and 4 tablespoons of butter in a 9-inch round cake pan and place it in the oven. When the butter has melted, stir until smooth and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the mixture bubbles. Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a rack.
  3/4 cup light brown sugar | 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• Toss the cranberries with the orange zest and juice in a medium bowl, then sprinkle them over the brown sugar and butter mixture.
  2 1/4 cups cranberries | 1 tbsp orange zest | 4 to 5 tbsp orange juice
• Separate the eggs. Put the egg whites in a medium stainless steel or glass mixing bowl; cover and set aside. Put the yolks in a small bowl or cup and set aside.
  2 large eggs
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk to blend thoroughly. Set aside.
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour | 2 tsp baking powder | 1/4 tsp fine salt
• Beat the granulated sugar with 1/2 cup of butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  1 cup granulated sugar | 1/2 cup unsalted butter | 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Add about one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat slowly until blended. Beat in half of the milk. Add another one-third of the flour and mix well. Beat in the remaining milk and then beat in the remaining flour mixture.
  1/2 cup whole milk
• With clean beaters, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks.
  1/4 tsp cream of tartar (for the egg whites)
• Fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
• Spread the batter evenly over the cranberry layer.
• Bake the cake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. If the cake is too hot, the topping can run; if it cools too long, the caramel can stick to the pan.
• Carefully invert the cranberry upside-down cake onto a cake plate. If any cranberries are left in the pan, scrape them onto the cake.
When inverting the cake, place your serving plate firmly over the pan and flip them together in one confident motion. Let the pan sit for 30 seconds before lifting — this gives the caramelized topping time to release cleanly.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 75mgSodium: 277mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 540IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 1mg

Disclaimer:

Our nutritional information is based on a third-party application that analyzes the ingredients list to determine the values. The information is meant to be helpful, but should be considered an estimate. Values may differ depending on measurements, brands, serving variations, and database availability.

Keyword cranberry cake, holiday baking, upside down cake

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