When we were little we used to get brand new outfits for all of the holidays. Easter dresses, Christmas dresses, shoes to match - and oh, yes we even had to wear little white gloves! Why anyone ever thought that putting white gloves on a 4 year old was a good idea, I'll never know. I remember my favorite Christmas dress was one that actually changed color! Somehow, the fabric would appear to be a really pretty forest green if you looked at it one way, and a dark royal blue if you looked at it another way. It had little white satin roses at the collar. The problem was finding shoes to match, I think I ended up with black patent leather Maryjane's. (I wonder how many pairs of those I went through - either wearing them out or out-growing them, I know I must have had at least 3 or 4 pairs by the time I was 5 years old).
Well, those days are long gone. Nowadays, if we get out of our pajamas on Christmas day we have accomplished quite a bit. But, do not fret! Instead of dressing ourselves up, we have evolved and now have taken to dressing up our holiday meals instead. We used to just dress up the holiday ham - putting pineapple rings, maraschino cherries & cloves in a diamond pattern before baking it - but that was as fancy as our food ever got. But there is a whole world of food waiting to join the fashionistas...
Take the lowly cranberry. We usually see it in a gelatinous wobbly mold at Thanksgiving, or studded into various cookies or muffins. I say it's time for cranberries to shine and go for the glory they deserve! So, here is a way to gussy up your cranberries, and make a dessert that is as impressive to look at as it is to eat. Tart, jewel-like cranberries atop a light sweet cake base. This will be sure to earn you a "wow" as you sit back and enjoy your holiday dessert in your Dr. Denton's.
cranberry upside-down cake
Topping:
5 Tblsp. unsalted butter
2/3 c. light brown sugar
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 c. fresh cranberries (about 8 oz.)
Cake:
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 c. milk (room temperature)
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Topping:
Butter a 9" round cake pan (I use a deep-dish 9" pie dish)
Heat the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan until butter is melted and sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking until the mixture starts to caramelize, about two minutes. Remove from the heat and pour this into your prepared cake pan. Sprinkle evenly with the cranberries. Try to use as many cranberries as you can, nestling them all nice and snug.
Cake:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add egg yolks and beat until incorporated. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour)
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold a firm peak. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a large spatula. Pour the batter into the cake pan on top of the cranberries. Smooth the top and tap the pan on the counter to get rid of air bubbles. Bake in a 350 F. oven for 35-40 minutes until top of cake is browned & begins to pull away from the side of the pan and a cake tester tests done.
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan. Take your serving plate and invert it on top of the cake. Hold your breath and invert the cake onto the serving plate. Tapping the pan will help loosen the cake if you need to.
This cake is best served warm, with some whipped cream.
No comments:
join the conversation