A Better Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

On November 23rd I wrote about the cranberry upside-down cake that I made this year for Thanksgiving. Well, I've found a recipe that I like better - thanks to my friend Mary Ann who made this cake for me. This is the cranberry upside-down cake of my dreams. (Yes, I do really dream about food.) The topping is tart and sticky - the brown sugar, dates and nuts really do the trick here - the cake is simple and buttery just the way I believe an upside-down cake should be. It is delicious the day you make it (of course) but it also stands up well to time and is yummy a few days out. That means less work to do the day of. If I make this for Thanksgiving next year, I'll make it the day before and let myself sleep in late the morning of the big day.

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Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
adapted from Cooking Light magazine

Cake:
Cooking spray
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted dates
2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup butter, softened and divided
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 cup fat-free buttermilk

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon butter, melted
2 Tablespoons fresh orange juice


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. To prepare cake, coat a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray, dust with 1 Tablespoon flour. combine cranberries, dates, walnuts and orange rind in a bowl. Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, 2 Tablespoons juice, and cinnamon; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour brown sugar mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle cranberry mixture evenly over brown sugar mixture.

3. Lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Place granulated sugar and remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; with with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter evenly over cranberry mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; run a knife around outside edges. Invert cake onto a plate; cool.

5. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Cut cake into squares.

Yield: 12 servings