Cranberry Pineapple Upside-Down Cake: A Festive Delight Recipe
This Cranberry Pineapple Upside-Down Cake is a festive and vibrant dessert combining tangy cranberries and sweet pineapple for a colorful, moist, and flavorful treat. Perfect for holiday gatherings or any celebration, this classic upside-down cake features a rich caramelized fruit topping over a tender, buttery cake base.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 8 slices canned pineapple, drained
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
Cake Batter
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 9-inch square cake pan to prevent sticking.
- Make Fruit Base: Pour melted butter into the pan, then evenly sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter. Arrange the drained pineapple slices and fresh cranberries decoratively on top of the sugar mixture.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to combine and aerate the dry components.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps incorporate air for a tender cake.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs one at a time into the butter-sugar mixture, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract for flavor.
- Combine Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture and milk alternately to the wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir gently just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the prepared batter evenly over the pineapple and cranberries in the cake pan. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Invert: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate so the caramelized fruit topping is displayed beautifully.
Notes
- Make sure to drain the pineapple slices well to avoid excess moisture that could affect the cake’s texture.
- Use fresh cranberries for a tart contrast; frozen can be used if fresh are unavailable but may add extra moisture.
- This cake is best served slightly warm, but can also be enjoyed at room temperature.
- For extra flavor, sprinkle a little cinnamon or nutmeg into the batter.
- Allowing the cake to rest a few minutes before inverting helps the caramel topping set and prevents sticking.
Keywords: cranberry pineapple upside down cake, holiday cake, festive dessert, fruit upside down cake, pineapple cake, cranberry dessert
