May I borrow a moment of your time to talk about cake? I have a complicated relationship with cake — love and a little bit of hate. As a child I didn’t care for cake, much to my poor mother’s dismay. I asked for pie on my birthdays while she, who practically has a phobia of making pie crusts, obliged. I wasn’t very gracious about it.
Over the years, after sampling countless cakes of many kinds, I discovered that what I actually disliked was frosting — or rather, bad frosting. The kind made only from shortening, sugar, and food coloring turned me off. Once I started thinking beyond basic buttercream, my whole opinion about cake changed.
By abandoning the ubiquitous buttercream, I found that simple buttery cakes are not just edible; they can be sublime. I now finish cakes with ganache, whipped cream, fruit preserves, syrups, and other tasty toppings. If you haven’t tried skipping buttercream, give it a shot — especially with this cake.
This particular cake is my favorite. It’s also the favorite of The Evil Genius and three of my five children (two of them are more picky — one dislikes fruit, and the other simply follows suit). I first made this cake from a recipe in Everyday Food magazine and, after a few tweaks — including substituting nutmeg for allspice — it became the version I make now. Nutmeg stuck around and now feels like it belongs.
The rich, buttery cake is the perfect partner for the sweet, tart, and warmly spiced cranberry topping. It’s incredibly easy to make — I could likely do it in my sleep, and I may have, once. This cake has been made in the whirlwind year when I gave birth four days before Thanksgiving but insisted on baking anyway. It pleases nearly everyone who tries it. Don’t just take my word: make it. Or make two.
If cranberries aren’t your thing, try this with an equal amount of fresh or frozen blueberries. Reduce the cinnamon and nutmeg a bit, and consider adding a little lemon zest. We’ve made and loved it that way, too.
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Recipe adapted from the version in Everyday Food magazine. The photos show two cakes, but the quantities below yield one 8-inch cake. Double the recipe if you want more.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (omit if unavailable)
- 1 to 3/4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Use 2 tablespoons of the butter to generously grease an 8-inch round cake pan; set aside.
Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl. Grate the nutmeg over the sugar and whisk to blend. Pour this mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and tilt to coat the bottom evenly (avoid coating the sides).
Arrange the cranberries in a single layer over the cinnamon-sugar in the pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a handheld electric mixer, cream the remaining 6 tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined, then mix in the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by one-third of the milk. Repeat twice more, scraping down the bowl as needed, until all the flour and milk are incorporated and the batter is smooth.
Spoon the batter over the cranberries in the pan and smooth the top, taking care not to lift the cranberries into the batter. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any potential overflow.
Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
Run a butterknife or thin spatula around the edge to loosen the cake. Place a serving plate or platter on top of the pan, flip carefully, give the bottom of the pan a gentle tap, and lift the pan away to reveal the cranberry topping.
This cake is best served slightly warm, but it’s delicious at room temperature or chilled as well. If you followed the suggestion to double the recipe, you’ll be glad you did.
Enjoy the blend of buttery cake and vibrant cranberry syrup — whether you slice it neatly or pull off rustic chunks by hand.
On a related note, we’ve been updating the kitchen where I’ve been baking. We bought our home and farmland from an Amish family and have been gradually adding modern amenities. Now that we’re able to make cosmetic improvements, the kitchen is getting a makeover. I’ll share more about the transformation elsewhere, but for now: bake your cake and enjoy it.