Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients for 8/10 servings:

Topping

  • 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons (58g) unsalted butter
  • 12 ounces (340g) fresh or frozen cranberries

Cake

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Scant pinch ground cloves
  • 8 tablespoons (117g) unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus more for buttering the pan)
  • 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • 1/4 cup milk

Equipment

  • 9-inch round cake pan with at least 2-inch high sides

Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven. Set the oven to 350°F.

  2. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with sides at least 2 inches high.

  3. In a small saucepan, place the 4 tablespoons of butter and the 3/4 cups of packed brown sugar. On medium high heat, stir the sugar as the butter melts. Once the butter is melted and mixed in well with the sugar, stop stirring and let the mixture simmer for 15 seconds or so.

  4. Pour the brown sugar butter mixture into the prepared cake pan. Spread the cranberries on top of the sugar butter mixture.

  5. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves.

  6. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter until light. Add the sugar and beat together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in the orange zest.

  7. Mix a third of the dry ingredients into the mixture. Beat in half of the sour cream. Mix in another third of the dry ingredients. Mix in the remaining sour cream. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients, and then the milk.

  8. Pour batter over the cranberries in the cake pan, and smooth the surface. Place in the preheated oven and lower the heat from 350°F to 325°F. Bake until a tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs. When pressing down on the cake, the surface should bounce back, about 55 to 60 minutes. The baking times are closer to 70 to 90 minutes.

  9. Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the inside rim of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Then, turn the cake out onto a platter.