Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

This 9-inch cranberry upside-down cake has a glossy layer of tart, whole and lightly burst berries over a tender sour-cream butter cake. The cranberries bake directly on a buttery brown-sugar layer, so there is no separate fruit filling to cook. A deep, parchment-lined pan contains the bubbling topping; inverting the cake after a short rest helps the cake hold together while the warm caramel releases.

Ingredients for Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

• 2 cups fresh cranberries (200g)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (170g); bring the butter for the batter to room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups packed light or dark brown sugar, divided (270g)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190g)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature (120g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Frozen cranberries work without thawing; add them straight from the freezer. Do not use dried cranberries, which will not produce the same juicy topping. Plain full-fat Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream in equal measure.

How to Bake Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

1. Prepare the pan: Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the center. Use a 9-inch round cake pan with sides at least 2 inches high; a shallower pan may overflow. Lightly grease the pan with a little of the 4 tablespoons butter reserved for the topping. Line the bottom with a round of parchment and butter the parchment.
2. Make the topping: Melt the rest of the reserved 4 tablespoons butter with 2/3 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth and syrupy. Spread over the lined pan bottom. Scatter the cranberries evenly over it in a dense layer.
3. Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Make the batter: Beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter with the remaining 2/3 cup brown sugar and the granulated sugar until lighter and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until no flour streaks remain. The batter should be thick and scoopable.
5. Bake: Dollop the batter over the berries and gently spread it to the pan edges without dragging berries through it. Bake uncovered for about 40 to 55 minutes, starting to check at 40 minutes. The top should be golden, the center should spring back lightly, and the edges should begin to pull from the pan. A tester inserted into the cake portion, rather than a cranberry pocket, should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the oven browns unevenly, rotate the pan once after 30 minutes.
6. Invert while warm: Cool the cake in its pan on a rack for about 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, place a serving plate larger than the pan over it, and invert in one motion. Lift off the pan and peel away the parchment. Return any berries left in the pan to the cake while the syrup is still warm.
7. Serve: Let the inverted cake stand for another 10 to 15 minutes so the topping can settle. Cut into 8 wedges and serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Pan and Baking Notes

The 15-minute rest gives the cake time to firm up without letting the caramel set against the pan. Parchment helps protect the sticky fruit layer, but the cake should still be inverted while warm rather than left to cool completely in the pan.

Baking time depends on the pan and oven. Glass, ceramic, and unusually dark pans may bake differently from a metal cake pan, so begin checking at 40 minutes and use the cake’s spring-back and tester results to decide when it is done.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Cover the cake once fully cool. Keep it at room temperature for the day of serving, then refrigerate leftovers airtight for up to 2 to 3 days. Bring chilled wedges toward room temperature before serving, or warm individual slices in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.

To make the cake a day ahead, bake and cool it, then refrigerate it covered. Serve at room temperature or briefly warm individual slices.

Nutrition

Approximate nutrition per wedge, based on 8 wedges: 475 calories, 4g protein, 22g fat, and 67g carbohydrates. Per 100g of finished cake: approximately 345 calories, 3g protein, 16g fat, and 49g carbohydrates. Values are estimates; finished cake weight and portion sizes will vary.