Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Ruby-red cranberries bake in buttery brown sugar under a soft, orange-scented vanilla cake. When you flip it, you get a glossy, sweet-tart topping that's just right for the holidays.
1 hr 15 mins
16 servings
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Unsalted Butter, divided (4 tbsp melted for the topping, 1/2 cup softened for the cake)
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 4 cups Cranberries
- 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ cups Sugar
- 4 Eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 teaspoons Orange Zest
- 1 cup Milk
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Pour the melted butter for the topping into a 9-inch round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep) and tilt the pan to coat the bottom.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter, then scatter the cranberries in an even layer on top.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat the remaining softened butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and orange zest.
- On low speed, add half of the flour mixture, then the milk, then the rest of the flour, mixing just until combined.
- Spoon the batter over the cranberries and gently spread it to the edges.
- Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, set a serving plate on top, and carefully flip. Lift off the pan and spoon any cranberries that stuck back onto the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.
