Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe

Southern Living Cranberry Upside Down Cake sliced on plates to serve — Photo:
Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 15 mins

Servings:

Cranberry upside-down cake is colorful, cheerful, and so festive at any holiday dinner or gathering, including Thanksgiving or Christmas. Take advantage of the brief fresh cranberry season, and show off with this jewel-toned beauty. If you like, add even more spices to amp up the flavor in this recipe.

Learn how to make cranberry upside-down cake, and serve it all by itself alongside hot tea or coffee, or top it with whipped cream or ice cream for a next-level presentation.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Ingredients

To make cranberry upside-down cake, you will need:

Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the cake topping and helps the berries to cook evenly.
Light brown sugar: Creates a delicious caramel-like sauce for the berries.
Fresh or frozen cranberries: If it's prime cranberry season, grab some fresh ones. Frozen will work if you can't find them.
Orange: You can't beat the combination of orange and cranberry, and in this recipe, you'll use both juice and zest to impart a lovely citrus flavor.
Kosher salt: Salt helps accentuate the sweetness of the berries and orange juice.
Ground ginger and cinnamon: Warming spices to drive home the cozy flavor of this cake.
All-purpose flour: This flour forms the base of the cake batter. Its fluffy but dense texture holds the berry topping beautifully.
Baking powder: Gives the cake its rise.
Granulated sugar: Adds sweetness to the cake batter.
Eggs: You'll need three. They give the cake lift and body.
Sour cream: Sour cream adds richness and helps make a tender crumb.
Vanilla extract: An essential baking ingredient, vanilla extract elevates all flavors.
Whole milk: Helps to mix the batter.
Powdered sugar: For dusting.

Southern Living Cranberry Upside Down Cake ingredients — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

How To Make Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

This upside-down cake may look complicated, but it's. one of the easiest desserts you could make during a busy holiday season. Here's a brief guide to the recipe. Full instructions are further below.

Step 1. Make the brown sugar topping: Melt butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add brown sugar and cook over medium until the sugar melts. Then remove from heat.
Step 2. Prepare cranberries: Toss cranberries, orange zest and juice, salt, and ginger in a bowl to coat. Spoon the cranberry mixture over the sugar mixture in the skillet.
Step 3. Make cake batter: Whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time. Beat on medium-low speed to combine. Lastly, beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Add the milk and flour mixture alternately in batches, ending with the flour mixture. Beat on medium until no lumps remain.
Step 4. Add cake to skillet: Spoon the batter evenly over the cranberry mixture in the skillet. Then place it in a large rimmed baking sheet, and bake it in the preheated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes.
Step 5. Cool and flip: Cool in the skillet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a serving platter over top of the warm cake and flip it over to invert the cake onto the platter.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Toppings

After inverting, dust this cake with powdered sugar, and serve it warm. (Powdered sugar dissolves into the cake when dusted on top, so it’s best to do this step right before serving.) Or top it with sliced almonds, if you prefer. Finish it off with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Southern Living Cranberry Upside Down Cake on a cake plate to serve — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

What Does Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Taste Like?

This cake is perfectly balanced between sweet and tart. The buttery brown sugar topping encases the cranberries and creates a dreamy sauce when combined with the spices and orange juice. The cake is delicately spiced and absorbs some of the moisture from the cranberry topping. Overall, this cake has a multitude of flavors and textures, making each bite just as enjoyable as the next.

How To Store Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

To store cranberry upside-down cake, wrap it loosely in plastic wrap before sealing it in an airtight container and storing it in the refrigerator, where it will last for three to four days.

You may also freeze this cake for up to about three months. To do so, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and cover with aluminum foil. Before serving, first let it thaw in the fridge overnight.

More Upside-Down Desserts

If you love this single, fruit-topped style of cake, we have plenty more recipes for you:

Editorial contributions by Alesandra Dubin.

Ingredients

3/4 cup (6 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed (about 3 cups)
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest plus 1/4 cup fresh juice (from 1 orange)
1 1/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 3/4 cups (about 7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk
Powdered sugar, for serving

Directions

Prepare the oven and brown sugar mixture:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Add brown sugar, and continue cooking over medium, whisking constantly, until sugar melts, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Mix cranberry topping:

Toss cranberries, orange zest and juice, 1/8 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the ginger in a medium bowl until fully coated. Spoon cranberry mixture, including juices, evenly over brown sugar mixture in warm skillet.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Combine dry ingredients:

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Cream butter and sugar:

Beat granulated sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla:

Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat on medium-low speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. With mixer still running, beat in sour cream and vanilla until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Make cake batter:

Add milk and flour mixture alternately in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until batter is fully combined and no lumps remain, about 3 minutes.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Add batter to skillet:

Spoon batter evenly over cranberry mixture in skillet, and spread evenly.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Place skillet on baking sheet, and bake:

Place skillet on a large rimmed baking sheet (optional: lined with aluminum foil), and bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Cool and flip:

Cool cake in skillet on a wire rack 10 minutes. Place a serving platter over top of warm cake, and carefully flip skillet over, inverting cake onto platter.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless
Dust cake with powdered sugar, and serve warm.

Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless