Spiced Cranberry Upside Down Cake

12 Dec

Spiced Cranberry Upside Down Cake

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How about a delicious festive cake that’s a little different, not too sweet and delicately spiced, topped with mouth-puckering ruby red cranberries? This is my new favourite cake now that it’s cold and dark, and fresh cranberries are in the shops. It’s festive and delicious, and would impress a crowd too.

 

The cake itself is the easiest I have ever made. Caterer Jacqui Pickles gave the recipe to me, and you really do just blitz it in the food processor, bake and enjoy. How simple is that?!

One more tip – do line your cake tin well, otherwise you might be scooping the cake up from the cake tin.

And feel free to change the fruit depending on the season. I have made this as a ‘Tarte Tatin cake’ with caramelized apples, which was delicious, and the spices can be changed as well.

For me, they taste just right for this time of year, and the amount of effort to make this impressive cake is just right too!

Spiced Cranberry Upside Down Cake

 

Ingredients

For the topping

2 teapigs spiced tea bags (optional)

50g caster sugar

250g fresh cranberries

 

For the cake

150g caster sugar

120g unsalted butter, at room temperature

120g self-raising flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs, at room temperature

Zest of 1 orange

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

 

Custard or cream to serve

 

Method

  • Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8-inch cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
  • For the topping, pour 100ml of boiling water into a small saucepan. Add the tea bags, stir and leave to steep for 15 minutes. Add the sugar to the pan, and heat gently to dissolve, then add the cranberries. (If you aren’t using the tea bags, add the water, sugar and cranberries to the pan and go straight to the next step).
  • Stir over a medium-high heat for a few minutes, or until the skins start to split. Discard the tea bags and pour the cranberry mixture into the cake tin, spreading it evenly over the base.
  • For the cake, put all the ingredients into a Magimix or beat with handheld electric whisks, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the sides and mix briefly until smooth.
  • Transfer the cake mixture into the tin, gently easing it over the cranberries with a spatula. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly.
  • To turn out the cake, run a spatula around the edge of the tin to loosen the cake.
  • Place the tin face down on a large plate or board and ease the tin away until the cake is out of the tin. Remove the baking paper and serve warm with custard or cream.

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