With cranberries abundant and at such a great price right now, it’s a shame not to put these beautiful and festive berries to good use. How can anyone go wrong with an upside down cake topped with fruit and nuts? This isn’t your traditional fruitcake…this is an upside downer cake! This recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours
I initially thought to skip the red currant jelly altogether, but so glad I didn’t, because the sweetness offsets the tart cranberries. I’ve doubled the amount of walnuts called for in the recipe, but it can easily be omitted altogether if you have reservation about using nuts.
- Increased walnuts to 1/2 cup.
- Used low-fat vs the original recipe’s whole milk.
- Don’t skip the red currant jelly. The sweetness from the jelly beautifully offsets the tart cranberries.
source slightly modified from Baking: From My Home to Yours
Makes 6 to 8 Servings
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (do not thaw if frozen)
Cake
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1/3 – 1/2 cup red currant jelly, for glazing cake
Set oven rack to center and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place an 8×2-inch round cake pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly spray sides of the round cake pan with non-stick spray.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Prepare Topping
Melt the 6 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan. Add the 6 tablespoons of sugar and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the butter/sugar mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Evenly distribute the chopped nuts and top with cranberries. Arrange cranberries so that they are one layer and evenly dispersed around the pan.
Prepare Cake Batter
Beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in a stand mixer, fitted with paddle, on medium speed until smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and continue beating until creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute each and scraping the sides of the bowl. Add vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until incorporated. Add the milk and then the rest of the dry ingredients until incorporated. Spoon and smooth the batter over the cranberry/walnut topping, using a rubber spatula.
Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the cake is golden and a knife inserted into center test comes out clean. Remove from oven and run a blunt spatula or knife along the sides of the pan and the cake. Turn cake out on a serving platter. If any berries or nuts stay behind in the pan, gently remove from the pan and place on the cake.
Warm the red currant jelly in the microwave for about 20-25 seconds. Using a pastry or silicon brush, brush the jelly glaze over the warm cake.
Cover leftovers and store at room temperature. Freezing this cake is not advised.
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow! This cake is GORGEOUS and would be perfect for a xmas dinner at my house this year! I love all the colors you’ve got going in the stunning photographs – the sugary/glaze-y topping is out-of-this-world. ‘m thinking of making this upside down cake for our christmas eve. Thanks for sharing!e
stunning cake…. it looks delicious. Thanks for stopping by.I discover your blog, love the recipes and photos. Giorgia
Oh my gosh, this looks incredible!
I’d very much prefer this upside down cake over the traditional fruit cake. The intense red from the cranberrries and some from the red current jelly makes the cake very festive, perfect to lighten our holiday mood even further! :D
What a beautiful upside-down cake and so perfect for this time of year. I think this is loads better than a fruitcake, too, although they share the same components. What a way to celebrate cranberry season!
That’s a gorgoeus and very festive looking cake! Certainly a show-stopper on the Thanksgiving table. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
this looks amaizing :) your pictures are so inspiring..thanks for sharing this.
Ooo, that looks so incredible. What a great way to have cranberries – way better than some tired jelly!
Very festive indeed… loved the fact that you doubled up on the walnuts, I would have done the same! :)
This cake looks gorgeous and delicious! Fantastic work. I can taste the red currant jelly just reading about it!
Wow, this cake is sure so tasty and so pretty…absolutely festive!
Thank you, my dear, for visiting my blog. I am happy to have found yours! Could this cake be any more gorgeous? Your photographs are incredible but the recipe is lovely. Now I know what to do with all the extra cranberries I still have. Thanks for the inspiration.
This looks fantastic! I love upside down cakes and cranberries…definitely can’t go wrong :)
What a marvellous idea to use these delightful berries in an upside down cake! Long live cranberries :)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
Gorgeous! Your pictures are always fantastic, but this cake is extra pretty. I love red currant jelly!
I agree…gotta use the fresh cranberries while we have them! This is a great idea for something different for the holidays (no more pumpkin…well, maybe)! BTW, you won the Chobani giveaway, so plese email me your address. :)
Just beautiful, I wish I could photograph food like this! The recipe sounds wonderful and looks just as good;)
I have tried red currant jelly only a few times, and I can vouch for how great it is! It really does add such a layer of sweetness! This upside down cake looks beautiful, and I’m sure it tastes amazing. I love all the cranberry recipes floating around right now. Thank you for sharing with me, love!
o man…this looks fanfreakingtastic! I love its vibrant and warm colour….irresistible.
I’ve never cooked with fresh cranberries before, but this looks fantastic!
OMG this cake looks marvelous! You know I love your photos… always leave here hungry and inspired! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I’m a huge fan of upside down cakes. I like how you increased the walnuts. Good call!
That is a thing of beauty! Perfect for any holiday table…saving!
This would certainly make a stunning center piece at the Holiday table. Beautiful and looks delightfully delicious :)
Great cake Cristina, such a modern twist to the classic upside down cake. I love tart cranberries in desserts with a sweet support. Good move on doubling the nuts. Love the pic of the topping before batter, so pretty.
What an incredibly delicious looking cake! Great combo with cranberries and walnuts and it loos so colorful and festive!
This cranberry cake has my mouth watering! I can already taste the tart sweetness on my tongue, I’m really wanting a piece right now:)
Delicious! I’m so glad I asked for that book for Christmas because the things that come out of it always look so fabulous. What a festive cake :)
What a great idea for an upside-down cake. Sounds yummy. I’ll have to try making it. Thanks.
So delicious. I am always finding a reason to use fresh cranberries!!
Wow!! That looks so good! I love cranberries!
Your cranberry upside down cake looks so incredibly delicious. That recipe from Dorie’s book was the first one to catch my eye and I have yet to make it. I definitely won’t skip the red currant jelly now and I think I’ll increase the amount of nuts too like you did. I can’t get over how gorgeous your cake is. YUM! :)
delicious colourful yummy cake
I’ve always loved the ruby like beauty of cranberries, and your upside down cake looks absolutely gorgeous!
This is a splendid cake, Cristina. So festive, full of color, and I bet full of delicious flavor! If I were having a big Thanksgiving celebration, I would make this in a heartbeat! It looks like an absolute show stopper. Great job!
I love Dorie’s version of the cake. The colors are stunning! I have been going cranberry crazy over here baking it in every thing;)Hope you had a lovely weekend.
Fantastic. I love the tartness of cranberries and fresh cranberries are definitely more flavorful. I’m also on a cranberry kick lately. I’ll have to make your cake after I finish my series. Thanks.
Thanks Andrea…me too on than cranberry craze. Hmm – what to make next? :)