Upside-Down Cranberry Cake

Loaded with flavors of fresh cranberries and orange zest, this delicious Upside Down Cranberry Cake recipe uses a boxed cake mix to keep it simple and easy. The holidays are the perfect time to bake this sweetly tart upside-down cake that sparkles with sugared cranberries for a festive garnish.

You’ll love how easy this impressive cake is to make! Using a boxed cake mix along with a cranberry jello mix and an instant pudding mix, you can whip up this holiday cake with ease. While it bakes, make the sugared cranberries for a sweetly tart frosted garnish. You won’t believe how simple they are to make!

I love making this cake during the holidays – from Thanksgiving to Christmas and right on through to New Year’s. It’s a versatile cake that can be enjoyed as a breakfast treat with a cup of coffee, as a sweet afternoon snack, or all decked out with jeweled cranberries for a decadent dessert cake.

Make sure you stock up on those bags of fresh cranberries and stash them in the freezer for a few months because you’ll be making this Upside Down Cranberry Cake more than once during fall and winter!

Ingredients Needed:

For The Cake:

Butter – I use unsalted. Make sure to set it out to soften for at least a half an hour.
Fresh Cranberries – If they’re frozen, be sure and defrost the bags overnight in the refrigerator.
Sugar – Use white granulated sugar.
Cranberry Jello Mix – The flavored jello dry mix is used to coat and flavor the cranberries.
Orange Zest – The zest is used to help brighten the flavor of the cranberries with a little citrus.
White Cake Mix – Use your favorite brand. I like Duncan Hines.
White Chocolate Instant Pudding – The mix is used in the cake batter to make it moist and flavorful.
Eggs – For the cake batter.
Water – For the cake batter.
Oil – I use vegetable oil, for the cake batter.
White Chocolate Bar– I use curls from the white chocolate bar as a garnish on top of the cake before serving.
Whipped Cream – Optional, for a garnish.

For The Sugared Cranberries:

Fresh Cranberries – If they’re frozen, make sure and defrost the bags overnight in the fridge.
Sugar – Use white granulated sugar.
Water – Used to make the sugary syrup to coat the cranberries.

Absolutely stunning cake! So delicious!!

How To Make The Sugared Cranberries

STEP 1: In a saucepan, bring 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil for about 2 minutes before removing them from the heat.

STEP 2: Add fresh cranberries to the saucepan and stir until they are all well-coated.

STEP 3: Use a spoon with slots to remove the cranberries from the pot and place them onto a parchment-lined tray, separating them as best you can.

STEP 4: Let the cranberries dry. Aproximately for 1 hour.

STEP 5: After 1 hour, toss cranberries in the remaining sugar to coat. Use them to garnish the cake.

Can I Make This In A Round Cake Pan?

Yes! I suggest using a large 10 x 2.5-inch springform pan rather than a cake pan. The volume of the batter will fit better in a springform pan with high sides. You can also use a high-sided large bundt pan. You will still need to line either pan with buttered parchment paper, at least on the bottom, so that when you invert the cake to remove it from the pan, the parchment paper will be able to be easily removed, keeping the pretty cranberry topping in place.

Can I Use Dried Cranberries?

No, dried cranberries won’t work for this recipe. The fresh cranberries will burst with sweetly tart juiciness, which is what you want to happen with this cake. Dried cranberries won’t hydrate when baked, so they’ll just become chewy, not soft and delicious.

Variations:

• If you can’t find cranberry jello, just swap it out with cherry or raspberry.
• Swap out the white cake mix for a yellow cake mix, instead.
• Swap out the white chocolate instant pudding for vanilla instant pudding, instead.
• Swap out the orange zest and use lemon zest, instead.

What Can I Do With Leftover Sugared Cranberries?

• You can eat them as a delicious snack!
• You can also use them as a pretty garnish for my Frosted Cranberry Cocktail, which would pair perfectly with this cake.
• You can use them as a lovely garnish around my Crock Pot Spiral Ham or my Pecan Praline Glazed Ham.
• And of course, they would be perfect as a garnish on the platter with my Slow Cooker Bone-In Turkey Breast.

Storage:

Cake: The cake should be stored in the refrigerator, and covered. It will keep for up to 4 days.

Sugared Cranberries: Leftover sugared cranberries can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge or on the countertop for up to 3 days.

More Cranberry Recipes:

Cranberry Mimosa

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

Slow Cooker Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

White Chocolate Cranberry Bundt Cake

Cranberry Clementine Almond Bread

Candied Orange and Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

Frosted Cranberry Cocktail