Cranberry Upside Down Cake Recipe With Picture

They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that's the case than Madame Tatin would be very pleased. The reason I mention Madame Tatin, one of two sisters who ran a hotel in the Sologne (Loire) region of France around the turn of the 20th century, is that she created the Tarte Tatin. And the Tarte Tatin is the dessert that led to the creation of the American Upside Down Cake.

Looking at these two desserts (Tarte Tatin and the Upside Down Cake) the similarities are obvious; both consist of caramelized fruit topped with pastry that is baked in a skillet, and both are inverted after baking so the fruit is on top. But there are also differences. One difference is that the Upside Down Cake does not limit itself to using just one type of fruit as the Tarte Tatin does with apples. The other is that while the Tarte Tatin tops the apples with a puff pastry or a sweet pastry, the Upside Down Cake uses a cake or cake-like batter.

The first printed recipes for this type of cake appeared in the 1930s and the Pineapple Upside Down Cake set the standard. Since then many versions of this cake have been created and this recipe for Cranberry Upside Down Cake is one example. It begins with melting butter with brown sugar. This caramelized mixture is then poured into a cake pan and fresh cranberries are sprinkled on top. A buttery white cake batter is then poured over the cranberries and the cake is baked until golden brown. Once the cake cools, it is inverted onto a cake platter so the top of the cake features the ruby red cranberries that have become wonderfully soft and sweet from absorbing all that delicious caramelized sugar. I love to serve this cake warm with a nice dollop of whipped cream. Leftovers can be covered, stored in the refrigerator, and simply reheated.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pan.

Topping: Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the sugar starts to caramelize. Then remove from heat, and pour into your prepared cake pan. Sprinkle evenly with the fresh cranberries.

Cake Batter: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the milk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients.

In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar just until the whites hold a firm peak. With a large spatula gently fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter in two additions. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake in preheated oven for 25 - 35 minutes, or until the top of the cake has browned and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and then invert the cake onto your serving plate.

Serve with softly whipped cream.

Note: If you use frozen cranberries the cake will take a little longer to bake than if you are using fresh cranberries.

Makes one - 9 inch (23 cm) cake. Serves 6 to 8.

Sources:

Nims, Cynthia C. The Best Places Northwest Desserts Cookbook. Sasquatch Books. Seattle: 2004.

Waters, Alice. Chez Panisse Fruit. Harper Collins Publishers. New York: 2002.

www.nytimes.com/recipes

Topping:

5 tablespoons (1/3 cup) (70 grams) unsalted butter

2/3 cup (140 grams) light brown sugar

8 ounces (2 1/4 cups) (227 grams) fresh cranberries

Cake Batter:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup (120 ml) milk

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

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