Cranberry Upside-Down Cake Recipe
While heavily associated with the festive season, cranberries aren't just for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This little Fall fruit is bursting with bright, tart flavor that adds a perfect balance to the rich, warm, spiced notes of autumn and winter, whether you happen to be cooking a sweet or a savory dish.
This cranberry upside-down cake, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, utilizes the oft-overlooked cranberry as a vibrant, alternative topping to the classic upside-down cake, giving the retro favorite a new lease on life. The deliciously tart berries are cooked beneath a spiced orange sponge that has a wonderfully soft crumb, before being turned out and brushed with marmalade for a sticky, tangy orange finish. The cake is served along with a simple yet sophisticated vanilla mascarpone cream that adds a smooth, creamy richness that perfectly complements the tart, fruity flavors of the topping and the spiced sponge beneath. Read on to find out how you can make this elegant yet comforting upside-down cake and make the most of the humble cranberry.
Gather the ingredients for this cranberry upside-down cake
To begin this cranberry upside-down cake, first you will need to gather the ingredients. For the cranberry layer, you will want unsalted butter, brown sugar, and fresh cranberries. For the cake batter, you will need all-purpose flour, baking powder, mixed spice, salt, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest. To finish off the cake, you will also want marmalade to brush on the top. For the mascarpone cream accompanying the upside-down cake, you will need mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract.
Step 1: Preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Step 2: Prepare a baking tin
Grease and line a 9-inch cake tin.
Step 3: Heat the butter and brown sugar
Heat ½ cup butter and the brown sugar together in a pan over a medium temperature.
Step 4: Simmer
Once the sugar has fully dissolved simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture begins to darken.
Step 5: Pour into the prepared cake tin
Pour the mixture into the base of the prepared cake tin, making sure it fully covers the bottom.
Step 6: Cool and top with cranberries
After 15 minutes, once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, top it with the cranberries.
Step 7: Begin the cake batter
To make the sponge, first whisk together the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and salt.
Step 8: Beat the butter and sugar
In a clean bowl or stand mixer, beat ¾ cup butter and the granulated sugar together on a high setting for 2 to 3 minutes until creamed.
Step 9: Add the eggs
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Step 10: Add the vanilla extract and orange zest
Mix in the vanilla extract and the orange zest.
Step 11: Fold in the flour
Fold the flour mixture into the bowl until just combined to form the batter.
Step 12: Add the batter to the tin
Add the cake batter to the cake tin on top of the cranberries, smoothing the top over with the back of a spoon.
Step 13: Bake the cake
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the cake springs back to the touch.
Step 14: Turn out the cake
Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out and removing the baking paper.
Step 15: Heat the marmalade
Heat the marmalade for 30 seconds on a medium temperature in the microwave.
Step 16: Brush the cake with marmalade
Brush the marmalade on top of the cranberries.
Step 17: Assemble the mascarpone cream ingredients
To make the mascarpone cream, add the mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl.
Step 18: Whisk to combine
Whisk for 15 to 20 seconds until the mixture is combined and thickened.
Step 19: Serve the cake
Serve the cranberry upside-down cake warm topped with spoonfuls of mascarpone cream.
What can I serve with this cake?
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Tart cranberries are cooked beneath a spiced orange sponge in our upside-down cake that's served with a simple yet sophisticated vanilla mascarpone cream.
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons marmalade
- For the mascarpone cream
- ¾ cup mascarpone, room temperature
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Grease and line a 9-inch cake tin.
- Heat ½ cup butter and the brown sugar together in a pan over a medium temperature.
- Once the sugar has fully dissolved simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture begins to darken.
- Pour the mixture into the base of the prepared cake tin, making sure it fully covers the bottom.
- After 15 minutes, once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, top it with the cranberries.
- To make the sponge, first whisk together the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and salt.
- In a clean bowl or stand mixer, beat ¾ cup butter and the granulated sugar together on a high setting for 2 to 3 minutes until creamed.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and the orange zest.
- Fold the flour mixture into the bowl until just combined to form the batter.
- Add the cake batter to the cake tin on top of the cranberries, smoothing the top over with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the cake springs back to the touch.
- Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes before turning it out and removing the baking paper.
- Heat the marmalade for 30 seconds on a medium temperature in the microwave.
- Brush the marmalade on top of the cranberries.
- To make the mascarpone cream, add the mascarpone, heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract to a mixing bowl.
- Whisk for 15 to 20 seconds until the mixture is combined and thickened.
- Serve the cranberry upside-down cake warm topped with spoonfuls of mascarpone cream.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 560 |
| Total Fat | 35.3 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21.2 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol | 166.1 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 56.1 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1.7 g |
| Total Sugars | 38.7 g |
| Sodium | 284.0 mg |
| Protein | 6.3 g |
How can this cranberry upside-down cake be adapted?
While this cranberry upside-down cake has plenty going on, there are several ways you can adapt the recipe if you would like to try something a little different and to make it your own. Cranberries make for a vibrant, tart cake topping by themselves, but you can also add a second complementary fruit into the mix, such as sliced apples, pears, or oranges, to create a different fruity finish for this upside-down cake. Additionally, you can also consider adding chopped nuts to the topping, either before or after it has baked. We recommend reaching for chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts for this recipe.
A common way to add a different flavor to your upside-down cake is by infusing the butter and sugar layer with further ingredients. Fresh or ground ginger makes an excellent warming addition alongside the cranberries, or you can add a tablespoon or two of Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or spiced rum for a boozy twist. Finally, to switch up the flavor of the sponge, you can reach for the pumpkin spice or a chai spice mix for a subtly different spice blend, and swap out the vanilla extract for an almond or orange extract, depending on your personal preferences.
How should this cake be stored?
When it comes to baked goods, choosing the right storage method for your sweet treat will help you to enjoy it at its best for longer. No matter which cake you bake, it is always best practice to keep cake in an airtight container once it is cooled, so that it does not quickly dry out and become stale. This particular cranberry upside-down cake contains fresh fruit, which adds further moisture to the sponge, which gives you a deliciously soft crumb, but it is still important to store the cake in an airtight container to keep it fresh for longer. As well as this, it is important to store cakes containing perishable fresh fruit in the fridge, so that they don't spoil. Nobody wants moldy cake!
Kept in the fridge in an airtight container, this cranberry upside-down cake will last well for 3 to 4 days, which gives you plenty of time to enjoy it. If you find that the fridge causes the sponge to harden a little, simply leave the cake out at room temperature for a short while before serving it.