Pour warm cranberry mixture into 11×7×2-inch or 8×8×2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour batter over. Bake cake until golden and cranberry mixture bubbles at edges, about 28 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Spoon warm cake with cranberry mixture onto plates. Serve cake topped with crème fraîche, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.
Yellow cornmeal gives this homey dessert great texture. Pippin apples can be used in place of Granny Smiths. When adding the batter to the cake pan, drop it by spoonfuls rather than pouring it over to help distribute it evenly and to avoid dislodging the apples. This cake isn’t super-sweet, so serve it warm with vanilla or dulce de leche ice cream, if desired. 6 to 8 servings
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
½ cup plus ⅔ cup sugar
3 7- to 8-ounce Granny Smith apples, peeled, cut into eighths, cored
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously spray 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ cup sugar and stir until sugar melts and turns golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add apples and saute over medium heat until apples are just tender and coated with caramel, shaking pan occasionally, about 12 minutes. Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan; distribute apples and caramel evenly over bottom of pan.
Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter and ⅔ cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add half of flour mixture; stir in buttermilk. Add remaining flour mixture and mix well. Drop batter by spoonfuls evenly over apples and spread gently with offset spatula.
Bake until cake is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together and turn over. Gently lift pan off cake. Serve warm.Technique Tip:
Flipping OutInverting an upside-down cake to get it out of the pan requires a leap of faith—and a firm grip. It’s important, of course, to read the instructions in the recipe first. Then, just go for it: Using oven mitts or thick kitchen towels, make sure you’ve got the cake pan and the platter clasped tightly together [1]. Then flip the platter and cake quickly, let stand as directed, and carefully lift off the cake pan [2].
A new twist on pineapple upside-down cake: Walnuts replace the pineapple atop a super-moist banana cake, and a brown sugar caramel drips down the sides. 6 to 8 servings
ToppingNonstick vegetable oil spray
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
¾ cup walnut halves or pieces
Cake
1¾ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup sugar
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 to 3 large)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream
TOPPING: Spray 8-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Bring butter, sugar, and corn syrup to boil in medium saucepan, stirring constantly until butter melts. Boil syrup 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Spread topping in prepared pan. Let topping cool completely.
CAKE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then mashed bananas, sour cream, rum, and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients in 2 additions just until combined. Spoon batter into pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Run small knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over. Let stand 5 minutes, then gently lift pan off cake. Cool at least 15 minutes for topping to set. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.Market Tip: BananasIf you don’t see any ripe bananas in the produce section, ask the produce manager if there are any in the back—sometimes they remove the ripe bananas to make room for the newest shipment.
Upside-down cake, an old-fashioned favorite, is given a lustrous new look with plums and fresh blueberries. 8 servings
Topping
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
4 plums, pitted, cut into ½ inch wedges
1 ½-pint container blueberries
Cake
1½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (optional)
TOPPING: Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar; whisk until well blended. Pour syrup into 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides, spreading to cover bottom evenly. Lightly press plums into syrup in circle around edge of pan. Spread berries in center.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
CAKE: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter in another medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add sugar to butter and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Stir dry ingredients and milk alternately into butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Spoon batter over topping in pan.
Bake cake until top is golden and firm and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Place platter over pan. Using oven mitts or pot holders as aid, firmly grasp pan and platter together, then turn over. Let stand 3 minutes, then gently lift pan off cake. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.