Recipe: Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 bag (12-ounce) fresh cranberries

1 3/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon powdered ginger

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup molasses

1 large egg

1/2 cup water

Optional garnish: sweetened whipped cream or sour cream

1. See note on type of pan before beginning this cake.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter and sugar in the bottom of a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat and stir until the butter is melted. Then cook undisturbed until the mixture is boiling and the sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat. Arrange the cranberries on top of the sugar mixture and let them stand off the heat while you make the gingerbread batter.

3. Stir the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the oil with the brown sugar and the molasses. Add the egg and water and whisk again until smooth.

5. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and continue stirring until smooth.

6. Pour the batter over the cranberries in the skillet and bake until the cake is puffed in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.

7. Let the cake stand in the pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack then place a plate on top of the pan and, using two hot pads, one on the plate and one on the skillet, invert the whole arrangement so that the cake lands, upside-down, on the plate. Lift off the skillet and if any fruit remains stuck to the pan, use a silicone or rubber spatula to transfer it to the top of the cake. Let the cake cool to room temperature before serving.

Note: A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is the key to preventing the fruit from sticking to the bottom of the pan. If no cast-iron skillet is available, cook the butter and sugar mixture in a saucepan and pour it into a 9-inch cake pan lined with a round of buttered parchment paper. After the cake is inverted onto a serving plate, peel away the parchment.

Cranberries and gingerbread play well together in this easy family dessert. Dress it up with a dollop of slightly sweetened whipped cream or sour cream for a holiday dinner or enjoy it cold for breakfast.

From (c) Greg Atkinson, 2004