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Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Cranberry Upside Down Cake
She’s a looker, isn’t she? But she’s not just another pretty face. She’s got good flavor going for her too. So pick up an extra bag or two of cranberries this season, before they disappear from grocers’ shelves.
This cake would be welcome any time of year, but especially at Thanksgiving, when cranberries are traditionally served in some form or other.
The topping is sweet and spicy at the same time, with the combination of allspice and cinnamon kicking up the flavor. Like most upside down cakes, it’s best eaten warm, when the cake texture is still soft. But you can make it ahead of time, and heat a slice in the microwave for ten seconds to recapture that fresh from the oven taste.
 I wish you all a peaceful Thanksgiving and a day filled with family, friends and good food.
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 3/4 cups cranberries
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
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in center. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with 2 tablespoons butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter
and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat
until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place
pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the
center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a rimmed platter.
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This Post Has 13 Comments

  1. Hi Linda,

    This cake looks soo good..can i use frozen cranberries..
    thank you for all your recipes
    nathalie B.

  3. I am searching for recipes that I haven't done before. This is great fun and so seasonal – and I love using cranberries. A colorful winner!

  4. Oh, but this one brings back memories! Cook's Magazine, way back in the eighties, did a Cranberry Upside Down cake, and it was divine! I'll have to give this one a go! Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours1

  5. Well, I certainly think the dessert looks beautiful — I love that red shade but I think that she might have some competition in the beauty contest with that gorgeous lady holding the bird :-)!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!

  8. Wonderful cake recipe.

    I try every year about this time to stock up on Ocean Spray fresh cranberries, then, believe it or not, I toss several bags in the freezer and so far, they last a full year. I came up with a muffin/quick bread recipe that I use several fruits (some fresh and some canned and always the frozen cranberries).

  9. A welcome addition to the dessert table for Thanksgiving or the upcoming holidays, quite festive. Terrific photo, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

  10. She's a show stopper for sure, like pretty little jewels! Funny thing about cranberries, last night I was making my cranberry sauce and it never jelled or came together, weird, never happened to me but they weren't Ocean Spray because I couldn't find any the day I was out. Into the disposal they went! I will buy extra and make this beauty.

  12. What a beautiful cake, Linda! Perfect for Christmas also. Your turkey photo made me smile. When my girls were little and I would make a roasted chicken I'd always hold up the chicken and make it do a little dance before I popped it into the oven 🙂

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