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An apple cranberry upside down cake on a cake stand with glossy caramelized apple slices and bright red cranberries on top

Apple Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Caramelized apples and tart cranberries in a brown sugar butter glaze, baked under a tender orange-scented sour cream cake and flipped to serve.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Resting before flipping 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Topping
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (56 g)
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar packed (135 g)
  • 1 large firm apple such as Honeycrisp, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (125 g)
Cake
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled (190 g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (113 g)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g)
  • 1 orange zest only
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature (120 g)
  • 1/4 cup milk (60 ml)

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan at least 2 inches deep.
  2. Pour the melted butter into the pan and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping rings and fill the gaps with cranberries.
  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  4. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and orange zest until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
  5. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, alternating with the sour cream and milk, mixing just until combined.
  6. Spread the batter gently over the fruit. Set the pan on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, invert onto a serving plate and lift off the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Frozen cranberries: Use straight from the freezer without thawing.
Storage: Keep covered at room temperature 1 day, refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Nutrition is an estimate per slice without toppings.