This simple cranberry orange upside-down cake is a must make. Made with fresh cranberries that are cooked down into a syrupy sweet jam for the topping and a soft buttery orange cake, this is one fabulous dessert.
Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake
Upside-down cakes are the easiest cake you can make. They don’t require frosting and you can enjoy them while they are warm and the topping is gooey. One of my favorite versions of this cake is my spiced apple upside-down cake. Try it if you get a chance.
It's the time of year where we put cranberries in all the things like cranberry orange sweet rolls, cranberry white chocolate oatmeal cookies, and cranberry gingersnap cookie butter. So why not put them in cake as well?
The cake begins with butter, brown sugar, and fresh cranberries. Butter is melted in down with brown sugar in a shallow pan then poured over fresh cranberries. As the cake bakes the cranberries will cook down with sugar syrup to form a thick layer of jam.
On top of the cranberries goes a luscious orange cake batter. The cake is flavored with orange zest and fresh orange juice. The orange juice acts much like buttermilk in making the cake super moist.
I’m certain you have made some version of an upside-down cake before. The first one I ever made was a classic pineapple upside-down cake. It used to be my favorite. The only cake I would eat for my birthday.
But now that I have a food blog, I enjoy experimenting with different versions. This cranberry orange upside-down cake is up there with the front-runner.
The topping reminds me of candied cranberries. It’s sweet but not overly sweet and there's a slight tartness from the cranberries.
I went a little light on the sugar. But I like the tartness of fresh cranberries. Feel free to add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
The cake is splendid. It’s light, airy, sweet, with intense orange flavor. You can use fresh or packaged orange juice, but don’t leave out the zest. It’s a necessity.
The eggs are separated and mixed in at different stages. The yolks go in when you normally add the eggs to the cake batter. Then the whites are whipped up into stiff peaks and folded into the batter at the very end.
This is a little tip I picked up from Cook’s Country. The whipped egg whites produce a tender yet sturdy cake.
When it comes to inverting the cake, don’t wait for it to cool completely before doing so. But don’t do it right out of the oven either.
It will be hot and you risk burning yourself with the fruit layer. Wait for about 10 minutes. That seems to be the perfect amount of time for the topping to set but still release easily from the pan.
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Cranberry Orange Upside-Down Cake
This simple cranberry orange upside-down cake is a must make. Made with fresh cranberries that are cooked down into a syrupy sweet jam for the topping and a soft buttery orange cake, this is one fabulous dessert.
Ingredients
For the topping
- 2 cups (200 g) fresh cranberries
- 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (165 g) packed light brown sugar
For the cake
- 1 1/4 cups (162 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup (124 ml) orange juice
Instructions
- Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly spray the paper with cooking spray.
Make the topping
- Arrange the cranberries evenly in the bottom of the pan; set aside.
- In a large nonstick pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and cook for 2 minutes. Pour evenly over the cranberries; set aside.
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a whisk. In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well mixed and fluffy.
- Beat in the orange zest and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until well combined.
- Reduce the speed to low, add half the flour mixture followed by the orange juice. Add the remaining flour mixture, mix until just incorporated.
- Add egg whites to a separate medium bowl. Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until they hold stiff peaks.
- Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour the batter over the cranberry mixture.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Run a knife around the cake to loosen it from the pan and invert it onto a serving plate. Gently peel off the parchment paper if it sticks to the top of the cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- The cake will keep for up to 2 days covered and stored in the refrigerator.
Notes
Adapted from Cook's Country.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 106Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 137mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
Nutritional values are automatically calculated by Nutritionix and should be used as a general guide only. For accurate values, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used for the recipe.
Remya @ Forks N Knives says
Such pretty pictures Jen!! Just as Manali said, Pineapple upside down is my favorite also! Double yayy for cranberry season..:)
Jen says
I think pineapple is the best also! But it's good to try something new once in a while. Thank you for the kind words!
Remya @ Forks N Knives says
Lovely pictures Jen. You bake such good looking cakes always!! And double yayy for cranberry season..:)
Jen says
You're so kind, Remya! Thank you.
Manali @ CookWithManali says
I absolutely love upside down cakes, I think they are the best. Pineapple is my favorite but this sounds fantastic as well! lovely flavors!
Jen says
Thanks Manali! I love pineapple too, but I'm always up for trying something different.
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
I haven't ever made an upside down cake though I've eaten a ton of them but, I've never seen one with as gorgeous a topping as this has! Love the cranberries and juice as the topping and the orange zest in the cake!
Jen says
Thanks, Shashi! They are so, so easy! You should give it a try.
Amanda says
Orange and cranberries are a match made in heaven. What a great recipe. And the cranberry red is such a beautiful color. Very tempting!
Jen says
Thank you for the kind compliment, Amanda!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
I LOVE pineapple upside down cake. I use that whipped egg white tip too - I think I saw it in Southern Living maybe. This orange cranberry combo is pure genius for an upside down cake!
Jen says
Isn't that such a great tip? I will never make cakes the same.
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
Love upside down cakes and this one looks divine!
Jen says
Thanks, Julie!
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
The color you achieved from the cranberries is stunning and I totally love the cran-orange combo 🙂
Jen says
Thank you, Medha!
Blair @ The Seasoned Mom says
If you say it's easy, I'm all in!! I LOVE cake, and I love the flavor combo of orange and cranberry. I bet this is AWESOME! I'm thinking it might need to be my contribution to Thanksgiving this year. Pinning so that I can come back to it!!!
Jen says
Yes!! You should make this for Thanksgiving! Thanks so much for pinning!!!
Sandra @ Heavenly Home Cooking says
Beautiful cake! And I love the flavor combination of orange and cranberry. This cake would be perfect for the upcoming holiday season! I love that it's an easy cake for busy bakers.
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
You always make the PRETTIEST cakes, Jen! And this is such a fun twist on the usual apple or pineapple upside-down cakes! I just bought my first bags of fresh cranberries and I think I know what's first on my baking list! 😉
Jen says
Yay for cranberry season. Isn't it exciting to see seasonal fruits popping up at the market. As soon as I seen them I knew I had to buy some.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
This cake is stunning, Jen! I love the cranberry topping and how soft this is. Sounds like this would make a great breakfast!
Jen says
Thank you for the kind compliment, Gayle! This cake is totally an acceptable breakfast!
Mir says
It's always so great when you flip the cake and the fruit part is all caramelized and gorgeous. And you've made a perfect fall flavor!
Jen says
Right?! That's the best part of upside-down cakes.
Zainab says
I am SO glad it is cranberry season again!! I love this delicious looking cake 🙂
Jen says
Me too! I was so excited to see them at the market!
mira says
This cake looks fantastic Jen! Great texture! Love the combination of orange and cranberries!
Jen says
Thanks, Mira! Cranberry and orange is the best!