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    Home » Recipes

    Layered Cranberry Upside Down Cake

    by Patti Estep · Nov 6, 2014

    Jump to Recipe

    Learn how to make an easy double layered cranberry upside down cake that will look and taste great during this holiday season.

    Layered cranberry upside down cake from the side.

    Cranberry plants are perennial and go dormant over the winter. They are one of the few fruits that are harvested in the fall. Their tart flavor is unique and delicious so I often make a special effort to cook and/or bake with fresh cranberries around the holidays.

    We are fortunate enough to be invited to my brother and sister-in-law's house this year for Thanksgiving dinner so I offered to help with the cooking and bring a few dishes. One of them was this festive Cranberry Upside Down Cake for dessert.

    Layered cranberry upside cake.

    Ingredients for Cranberry Layered Cake

    • Butter
    • Sugar
    • Cinnamon
    • Lemon juice
    • Lemon zest
    • Fresh cranberries
    • White cake mix
    • Vegetable oil
    • Water
    • Egg whites

    Slice of cranberry upside layer cake.

    This cake is pretty easy to make. I take a shortcut by using a boxed cake mix and chopping up some of the cranberry mixture for the filling.

    Flipping it out onto a plate is definitely the hardest part.

    Still, I think it looks really nice for the holidays and in my humble opinion tastes even better.

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    More Great Cranberry Desserts

    • Cranberry Pear Galette
    • Cranberry Dump Cake
    • Cranberry Cake Cookies

    Layered Cranberry Upside Down Cake

    Here's a festive and tasty layered cranberry upside down cake that's perfect for using fresh whole cranberries during the holiday season.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 35 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 423 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1/2 c butter
    • 2 c . sugar
    • 1 t cinnamon
    • 2 T . lemon juice
    • 1 T . lemon zest
    • 1 12 oz . bag fresh cranberries
    • 1 box white cake mix 18.25 oz
    • 1/3 c vegetable oil
    • 1 1/4 c water
    • 3 egg whites

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350
    • Grease 2 8-inch cake pans
    • In a large saucepan melt butter, sugar, lemon juice & zest and cinnamon. Once sugar is dissolved add in cranberries. Mix well and remove from heat.
    • Once the cranberry mixture has cooled slightly transfer about 1/3 of the mixture to a food processor and chop. Pour chopped cranberries into one of the prepared cake pans and the rest of the cranberry mix into the other pan.
    • Make cake batter according to the package directions.
    • Divide the batter between the two pans.
    • Place the pans on a cookie sheet or foil in case there is an leakage. Make a note of which pan had the whole berries versus the chopped berries.
    • Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick entered into the center of the cake comes out clean.
    • Allow the pans to cool slightly. While they are still warm place a large plate over the chopped berry pan and invert. Then very carefully using your hand, invert the whole berry pan onto your hand and slide it onto the chopped berries.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 423kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 3gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 218mgFiber: 2gSugar: 50g

    Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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    « Easy Indoor Plants: Beguiling Begonias
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    About Patti Estep

    Patti is the creator of Hearth and Vine, a home and garden blog filled with projects to inspire your creative side. She loves crafting, gardening, decorating and entertaining at her home in Pennsylvania. When she is not working on a project at home or searching for treasures at nurseries and thrift stores with her girlfriends, you’ll probably find her with family and friends, at a restaurant, or home party enjoying new and different food adventures.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kirsten

      November 14, 2014 at 10:51 am

      This cake looks so light and filling. Yummy alternative to pie. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. Heather @ new house new home

      November 07, 2014 at 8:15 am

      Yummy! The cake looks so light and airy.

      Reply
      • Patti

        November 07, 2014 at 2:37 pm

        Thank Heather, it is! The cranberry part is a bit on the decadent side so it needs a light batter.
        Thanks for stopping by.
        Patti

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. 35 Cranberry Dessert Recipes - Flour On My Face says:
      October 8, 2015 at 8:46 am

      […] Cranberry Upside Down Cake […]

      Reply

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