Cranberry Walnut Upside Down Cake
Ruby colored cranberries are the jewels in the crown of this delightful holiday cake.
This festive upside down cake is a holiday tradition in our house. It’s simple and moist with hints of orange and cinnamon, and it’s crowned with a sweet and tart layer of caramelized cranberries. Chopped walnuts add a hint of salty nuttiness with just the right crunch. We think it tastes incredible, and it makes such an elegant display on the serving platter.
While it tastes amazing on its own, we also like to serve it topped with a scoop of ice cream or even a dollop of whipped cool whipped cream. The pop of red color and sweet-tart flavor from the cranberries is just about as good as it gets. It’s fun, festive and flavorful…the perfect way to dive into the season and spread some holiday cheer!
Cranberry Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened and divided
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries
- 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch, 2-inch-deep cake pan.
- Warm 1/2 stick of butter and brown sugar in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until butter melts. Simmer 20 seconds. Pour mixture into prepared cake pan and tilt pan to cover bottom. Sprinkle cranberries and walnuts over caramel sauce. Set aside.
- Mix 1 stick of softened butter with granulated sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and orange extract. Beat until incorporated.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in separate bowl. Mix half of dry ingredients into batter. Beat in half of yogurt and half of milk. Add remaining dry ingredients, remaining yogurt and remaining milk. Mix until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour batter over cranberries and walnuts. Bake in preheated oven 50 to 60 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Use a knife to loosen sides of cake. Flip onto serving platter. Slowly lift pan to release cake. Cool completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Sweet Poppy Seed