This cranberry-orange upside-down cake is a perfect holiday dessert that combines sweet-tart cranberries, a moist blood orange cake, and a sweet, herbaceous rosemary whipped cream.
This stunning cranberry-orange upside-down cake is perfect for your holiday dessert table this year.
A layer of caramel, orange-scented cranberries, and an irresistible moist almond-orange cake make this cranberry-orange upside-down cake a Thanksgiving dessert that everyone will love. It’s easy to assemble, visually impressive, and full of bright winter citrus flavor. I serve it with a dollop of homemade rosemary whipped cream to give it a sweet, herby finish that balances the tart cranberries beautifully. It’s a festive dessert perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and any time in between.
I love cranberry desserts, and this cake creates the perfect trifecta of cranberry, orange, and almond. It’s not too sweet or overly decadent, making it a refreshing and crowd-pleasing post-Thanksgiving feast dessert.
How to make this cranberry-orange upside-down cake
This recipe is a bit more complex than my standard upside-down cakes because of the inclusion of rosemary whipped cream with homemade rosemary simple syrup. If you’re short on time, you can swap in store-bought whipped cream or bottled rosemary syrup, and the cake will still turn out delicious. You can always skip this whipped cream and serve it with store-bought whipped cream instead. You can also buy prepared rosemary simple syrup instead of making your own.
What you need
Rosemary simple syrup and whipped cream: You’ll need fresh rosemary, granulated sugar, and water to make the simple syrup. You’ll need heavy cream and powdered sugar for the whipped cream.
Cranberries: The cranberries are made with fresh cranberries, blood orange juice and zest, granulated sugar, and cornstarch.
Caramel: The caramel layer is simply butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and heavy cream.
Blood orange cake: The cake is made with sliced almonds, flour, baking powder, salt, butter, granulated sugar, eggs, blood orange juice and zest, whole milk, and vanilla extract.
Do I have to use blood oranges?
No, you can use any variety of orange. I love blood oranges for their subtle raspberry undertones, but pick whichever orange variety is accessible to you. Navel, Cara Cara, or even mandarin oranges work well in this recipe.
How to make it
Step 1: Make the rosemary whipped cream.
Start by making the simple syrup by simmering rosemary in sugar and water. Strain and discard the rosemary sprigs. Let the syrup cool completely before whipping it with heavy cream and powdered sugar. The whipped cream can be made up to 12 hours in advance.
Step 2: Make the cranberries.
Combine the cranberries with blood orange juice, blood orange zest, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer until the cranberries pop and soften. Lightly break them up with a spoon. Make a slurry with cornstarch and water and stir it into the cranberries. Set aside to cool while you prepare the caramel and cake batter.
Step 3: Make the caramel.
Combine brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until smooth. Add vanilla extract and heavy cream. Pour into a lightly greased cake pan and refrigerate until needed.
Step 4: Make the cake.
Combine almonds with flour and stir to coat. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat until smooth, and then add half the sifted dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Add blood orange juice, blood orange zest, vanilla extract, and half the milk. Beat until just combined before adding the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the milk. Beat until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Gently fold in the almonds.
Step 5: Assemble the cake.
Pour the cranberries over the caramel layer, and then pour the cake batter on top. Smooth into an even layer before transferring it to a preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 30 to 45 minutes before inverting onto a plate. Let cool completely before serving.
Step 6: Serve.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar before slicing and serving with the rosemary whipped cream on top.
Options for frosting
When I originally developed this recipe, I intended for the whipped cream to be a traditional, lightly stabilized whipped cream served as a dollop on each slice of cake. I’ve also created a version of the frosting that uses a bit of mascarpone to create an even more stable frosting that can be served on top of the cake. Both are divine, depending on your preferences, and the recipe accounts for both options. I love the fully frosted cake served with a bit of orange zest on top instead of additional powdered sugar.
FAQ
What type of pan is best for an upside-down cake?
A 9-inch round metal cake pan works best because it conducts heat evenly and helps the caramel bubble properly. Avoid springform pans; the caramel can leak.
Can I make this cake ahead of time?
Yes. You can bake the cake up to 24 hours in advance. Store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container. Reheat gently in a 300ºF oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Can I freeze leftovers?
You can freeze slices (without whipped cream) for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm slightly before serving.
What can I use instead of almonds?
Crushed pecans, walnuts, or pistachios all work well. You can also omit nuts entirely for a smooth-textured cake.
How do I keep an upside-down cake from sticking when I invert it?
Let the cake cool for 30 to 45 minutes, then run a knife around the edges before flipping. Tapping the bottom of the pan will help encourage its release. Cooling allows the caramel to thicken so it releases cleanly.
Cranberry-Orange Upside-Down Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Rosemary simple syrup:
- 2 large sprigs rosemary
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Rosemary whipped cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- 4 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup (from above)
- 4 ounces mascarpone cheese (optional, see Note 1)
Cranberries:
- 8 ounces cranberries (rinsed)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 blood orange (juiced and zested; yielding 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Caramel layer:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Batter:
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 blood orange (juiced and zested; yielding 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For serving:
- Powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
Make the rosemary simple syrup:
- Place the rosemary sprigs in a saucepan with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 2 hours. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Strain the syrup into a bottle or jar. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The syrup should be completely cool before making the whipped cream.
Prepare the rosemary whipped cream:
- Place 1 cup heavy cream in a large bowl. Add ½ cup sifted powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone if using and continue beating just until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overmix it. Cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.
Prepare the cranberries:
- Place the cranberries in a small saucepan with ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons blood orange zest, and 2 tablespoons blood orange juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the cranberries pop and soften. Lightly break up the cranberries with your spoon. Turn off the heat.
- Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk until smooth and pour into the cranberries. Stir until completely combined. Set aside at room temperature as you prepare the rest of the cake.
Make the caramel:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup of light brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens slightly in color.
- Turn the heat to low and add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Make the batter:
- Combine ½ cup almonds with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. Set aside.
- Sift 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add 4 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of granulated sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream them together. Add 2 eggs and beat until smooth.
- Add half the sifted dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until just combined. Add 2 teaspoons of blood orange zest, 2 tablespoons of blood orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and half the milk, and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining milk. Beat until just combined. Don’t over-mix!
- Gently fold in the almonds.
Assemble the cake:
- Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator. Pour the cranberries over the caramel and smooth them into an even layer. Pour the batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.
Bake the upside-down cake:
- Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let the cake stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. The cake should still be warm to the touch.
To serve:
- Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let the cake cool completely. If serving with the mascarpone whipped cream, spoon the frosting over the entire cake and then slice. Finish with orange zest on top if desired. Otherwise, finish the cake with powdered sugar, slice, and serve each slice with a dollop of rosemary whipped cream on top.
Can I line the pan with parchment?
Yes!