Cranberry Buttermilk Upside-Down Cake

The Shores

Chef de cuisine Amy DiBiase’s easy-to-make cranberry buttermilk upside-down cake is a fresh alternative to the holiday season’s sticky-sweet dessert confections. She offers it to customers with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of ice cream.

The Shores’ Cranberry Buttermilk Upside-Down Cake

Serves 6-8

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
Cranberry topping (recipe follows)
 

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non-stick vegetable spray) a 9-inch round cake pan.

2.In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3.In the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 

4.Add the flour mixture (in three additions), alternately with the buttermilk (in two additions), ending with the dry ingredients. 

5.Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top of the cake has browned, starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes. 

6.Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan and then invert the cake onto a serving plate. Top with cranberry mixture.
 

Cranberry topping

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup light-brown sugar
2 ¼ cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and dried

1.Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. 

2.Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the sugar starts to caramelize. Remove from heat and pour into the prepared cake pan. 

3.Sprinkle evenly with the fresh cran-berries.

Recipes: By Mary James Photography by Martin Mann