Welcome to Sweet Saturdays here at ApinchAdash.com! This is the first week that I am doing this, and I’m very excited about it. For some reason, I tend to post more about dinners, and a few of you have asked for more sweets! Well, I can’t argue with that one, so I’m making a point to post a sweet treat once a week! How do ya like that?!
What better way to kick it off than with my incredible Cranberry Upside Down Cake! Rich, decadent, sweet, tart, ooey, gooey, soft, and light, caramely (is that a word? It should be); all at the same time. It’s like the perfect little cake. Plus, could it be any more festive and beautiful looking for the holidays? This one is a winner, I tell you.
The best part of it all, is how simple it is to make! Melting butter and brown sugar together to make that gooey caramel, topped with fresh cranberries and cake batter, so the cranberries burst while cooking, marrying between the caramel and cake so perfectly, they all become one. If heaven was a cake, this would be it.
Here’s how to make it:
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Makes 1 9 inch Cake
What You’ll Need:
For the Caramel:
+ 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
+ 3/4 cup brown sugar
+ 2 cups fresh cranberries
For the Cake:
+ 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed at room temp.
+ 1 cup granulated sugar
+ 2 large eggs
+ zest of 1 lemon
+ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
+ 1/2 cup milk
+ 1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour
+ 1/4 cup cornmeal
+ 1/4 teaspoon salt
+ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9 inch cake pan, combine the 4 Tbsp. butter and brown sugar. Stick in the oven for about 5 minutes, stir, until the butter is melted and brown sugar combined to resemble a caramel. Add the cranberries on top.
Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar together in a mixer until combined. Add in the eggs one at a time, as well as the zest and vanilla. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder. Add half of the mixture to the creamed butter mixture, stirring, and then add half of the milk. Repeat with the dry ingredients and milk, until the batter is combined.
Pour the batter over the cranberries and caramel in cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the outer edge of cake, and invert onto a serving platter. Allow the cake to cool. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Dust with confectioners sugar, if desired.
Enjoy! xo Jessica
A Pinch Here, A Dash There 