cranberry upside down cake

Cranberries and those who sell them to us are really good at peer pressure. When winter rolls around, red and cheery bags of crans show up on grocery store shelves...and they make you feel like you *have* to buy a bag and do *something* with it, even if it just be cranberry sauce that nobody really eats.

This year was going to be different! Cranberries are not only delicious, but chock full of antioxidants and detoxification properties. Granted, the sugar content of cranberry desserts may nullify the good properties, but doesn't it feel good to think about all that while eating a big piece of perfectly spicy cranberry cake with homemade vanilla whipped cream? Let me tell you - it does! I took the cake to a Christmas party and it was well received.

I have a great holiday baking Everyday Food magazine that I've used for the past few years. You can also find the recipe online.

If you have a bag of crans lying around (although they freeze well!), I'd suggest giving this cake a try.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food Magazine

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 3/4 cups cranberries
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with butter. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top.
• With an electric mixer, cream remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well combined. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.
• Spoon batter over cranberries in pan, and smooth top. Place pan on a baking sheet; bake cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert onto a platter.

p.s. - Thanks, michael! This video made my day so I just had to share it!