This recipe for exceptionally moist and flavorful Cranberry Upside-Down Cake, topped with luscious deep garnet cranberries, is a unique twist on the more familiar pineapple upside-down cake.
This quick and easy cranberry dessert combines fresh cranberries, orange juice, brown sugar, and cornmeal with a box cake mix and takes only minutes to prepare.
Cranberry Upside-Down Cake made in a cast-iron skillet fairly sparkles with jewel-like caramelized cranberries in this sweet and slightly tart uniquely flavored cake.
Like my recipe for Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce, this delicious and versatile cranberry cake makes a light and delightful end to any meal. But, like a coffee cake, it also pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee for breakfast or a snack.
If you are like me and love fresh cranberry desserts, you will be in cranberry heaven with this simple but flavorful dessert that is as beautiful as it is delicious. And it makes an elegant addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table.
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Ingredient notes:
- Unsalted butter: adds a rich buttery taste to the cranberry topping. You can also use salted butter if that’s all you have. (not pictured)
- Light brown sugar: adds a mild sweet caramel flavor to the tart cranberry topping.
- Cranberries: while these ruby red superstars are tart on their own, the caramelized brown sugar and butter topping adds just the right amount of sweetness without being too sweet.
- Yellow cake mix: yes, I use a mix in this recipe. It is delicious and works perfectly with the luscious fruit topping.
- Orange juice: I like to add orange juice to add a citrus note to the dessert.
- Vegetable oil: adds moisture. I use peanut oil, but you can use any vegetable oil you like.
- Cornmeal: I like to add just a bit of cornmeal to improve the texture and add an almost imperceptible crunch to this dessert.
- Eggs: are the glue that binds everything together.
Step-by-step directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
- Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Stir continuously until the sugar melts, which should take two to three minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the cranberries, a few at a time, until the entire surface of the butter and sugar mixture is completely covered. Set aside.
- Add the cake mix, orange juice, vegetable oil, cornmeal, and eggs to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for two minutes.
- Carefully pour the batter over the cranberries.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, immediately place a serving plate over the top of the skillet. Use potholders and hold the plate and skillet together with both hands and carefully flip them over. Lift the pan off of the cake.
- Voila, Cranberry Upside-Down Cake!
Recipe variations:
- If you would like to change this cranberry dessert up a bit, you could add fresh chopped oranges, pears, pineapple, apples, and even raspberries to the cranberry topping.
- You could also add a handful of pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
- You can substitute white, butter, spice orange supreme, or lemon supreme cake mixes for the yellow cake mix.
Frequently asked questions:
An upside-down cake is baked in a single cake pan or, in this case, in a cast-iron skillet, with its toppings in the bottom of the pan. After it is baked, it is turned “upside-down” on a serving plate, and the fruit or toppings come out on top!
The most famous example is the classic pineapple upside-down cake; I also have a blueberry upside-down cake recipe on my blog. Lots of butter is the key to getting it to come out in one piece with the topping intact. That’s one of the reasons upside-down cakes are so moist and delicious.
I recently received a note from an upset reader that I use a mix as the base in the recipes for my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake and Southern Pecan Praline Cake. And my answer to her was, “why not?”
I have plenty of recipes on my blog that are made from scratch, but when a box mix can simplify your life and save time without compromising taste, I say go for it! With just a few simple tweaks, such as adding orange juice and cornmeal, this dessert has the perfect balance of texture and flavor.
You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries to make this dessert. The minute fresh cranberries start showing up in the fall at the grocery store; I buy multiple bags. Then I store them in the freezer to have them on hand throughout the year. Fresh cranberries freeze well, and you can leave them right in the bag they came in.
According to Medical News Today, cranberries are classified as a superfood. They are native to North America and are harvested in September and October.
This dessert is delicious on its own. It’s more like a coffee cake, not too sweet, and perfect for dessert or with a cup of coffee or hot tea. I’ve been known even to have a slice for breakfast. That said, a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream would be an excellent addition.
This confection will keep covered on your countertop for up to three days, so it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert. I have not tried freezing it yet; it doesn’t last that long in our house.
Sharon’s tips:
- I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix in this recipe because that’s what I had on hand. You can use any brand of mix that you like. If the ingredient amounts called for on the back of the box are different from what I have listed for the orange juice, eggs, or vegetable oil, use the amounts specified on the box. (I replaced the water called for on the box with orange juice.)
- Have your serving platter or plate ready when your cake comes out of the oven. If you don’t flip it over immediately while it is still hot, it will not come out in one piece.
- Use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or non-stick skillet to ensure your cake comes out easily.
- You can make this recipe in a 9×13-inch oven-proof baking dish, but you will need more cranberries, and it will be much more challenging to get it out of the pan in one piece.
- If you use frozen cranberries, let them thaw completely, and then pat them dry with a paper towel before adding them to the butter and brown sugar mixture.
More dessert recipes with cranberries:
By now, I think we have established that I love cranberry anything. But, if you are like me, you might also like these easy recipes that feature cranberries:
Savory recipes with cranberries:
- Also, don’t forget these holiday main dish recipes: Cornish Game Hens with Cranberry Stuffing and Roast Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries.
- Serving Cranberry Infused Vodka and Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip at a holiday gathering will keep everything bright and festive.
- Another festive holiday cake you might enjoy is my lemony limoncello cake.
★★★★★ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones! I hope you come back soon!
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Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Equipment
- 10-inch well seasoned cast iron skillet or a regular non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 15.25 oz box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup orange juice
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 3 eggs, large or extra-large
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Melt the butter in a 10-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet.
- Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Stir continuously until the sugar melts, which should take two to three minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the cranberries, a few at a time until the entire surface of the butter and sugar mixture is completely covered.
- Add the cake mix, orange juice, vegetable oil, cornmeal, and eggs to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for two minutes.
- Carefully pour the cake batter over the cranberries.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, immediately place a serving plate over the top of the skillet. Use potholders and hold the plate and skillet together with both hands and carefully flip them over. Lift the pan off of the cake.
- Voila, Cranberry Upside-Down Cake!
Notes
- I used Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix in this recipe because that’s what I had on hand. You can use any brand of cake mix that you like. If the ingredient amounts called for on the back of the box are different from what I have listed for the orange juice, eggs, or vegetable oil, use the amounts specified on the box. (I replaced the water called for on the box with orange juice.)
- Have your serving platter or plate ready when your cake comes out of the oven. If you don’t flip it over immediately while it is still hot, it will not come out in one piece.
- Be sure to also use a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan to ensure your cake comes out easily.
- You can make this cake in a 9×13-inch oven-proof baking dish, but you will need more cranberries, and it will be much more challenging to get it out of the pan in one piece.
- If you use frozen cranberries, let them thaw completely, and then pat them dry with a paper towel before adding them to the butter and brown sugar mixture.
- This confection will keep covered on your countertop for up to three days, so it’s the perfect make-ahead dessert. I have not tried freezing it yet; it doesn’t last that long in our house.
Nutrition
**This recipe was originally posted on November 13, 2019.
Bernie Axelrod
I made this cake twice and have been asked for the recipe by several people! Both times in my daily-use heavy skillet (because my cast iron pan measures 12″ not 10″). I placed the skillet on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Both times this cake TURNED OUT GREAT! Caveat: I needed a SECOND PERSON to help me flip the cake out of the pan onto a platter each time. The second time I made this cake I took a photo of it on the platter because it just looked THAT good! The cranberry topping comes out not too tart/not too sweet and the cake is super moist! I used salted butter (that’s what was at hand) and defrosted 3 cups of frozen cranberries.
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Bernie, I am so glad you like this recipe. It’s one of my favorites, and every year, when cranberries become available, I buy extra bags and freeze them so I can make this cake all year.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know!
Sharon
Susan Watkins
I made this cake last Christmas, and it turned out beautifully—looked just like the photo. I made it again tonight, and all the cranberries migrated into the batter. I’m trying to figure out why. I might have used fresh cranberries last year, and today I used frozen (I did follow the instructions by defrosting them and making sure they were dry). But I can’t think of anything else I did differently. Is it possible the frozen cranberries are the problem? I haven’t cut the cake yet, and I’m hoping it will taste jet as good even thought it looks disappointing.
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Susan, I’m so sorry you had an issue. I have made this cake at least a half dozen times and never had the berries do that. I have used both fresh and frozen berries. I’m wondering if it’s possible that the frozen cranberries you used might have been old. I pulled two bags (that I had frozen last year) out of my freezer the other day, and one was fine, but the berries in the other one looked shriveled up and soft, and I ended up tossing them. If that’s not it, I’m at a loss!
I do hope it tasted okay and you and your family enjoyed it!
All the best and Merry Christmas!
Sharon
Susan Watkins
Thanks for your quick response, Sharon. The cranberries I used were new. I bought them fresh last month and froze them. I’m stumped about what could have happened. Guess I’ll have to make it again and hope for better results.
Cheryl
Could you make this gluten free? Would it work with corn bread?
Sharon Rigsby
Hi Cheryl, I would guess this recipe would work using gluten-free flour with xantham-gum. However, I haven’t ever done it, so I can’t say for sure and I know different brands of flour produce different results. I do not think straight cornbread would work, but I haven’t ever tried that either.
All the best,
Sharon
Carol
Can I make this in a Bundt cake pan?
Sharon Rigsby
I have never made it in a bundt pan and I think it might be a little more difficult to get out in one piece. But as long as you grease it really well, I say go for it. If it comes out in one piece, it should be gorgeous! Keep me posted and let me know how it goes.
All the best,
Sharon
Melani Kline
Amazing! We only had 1 cup of cranberries left over from Thanksgiving. So, we diced up 2 honeycrisp apples and mixed with the cranberries. I added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon to the brown sugar and butter, because I have to have cinnamon with anything apple. It looks exquisite and tastes phenomenal! Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe!