Cranberry Gingerbread Upside Down Cake is a mix of holiday favorites. Moist and rich gingerbread cake baked with fresh cranberries, and topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Gingerbread is a holiday staple for me. I love the flavor in almost any sweet- cake, cookies, coffee, bread, cheesecake...you name it and I am a fan. It is hard to beat a traditional gingerbread cookie, but my recipe for Cranberry Gingerbread Upside Down Cake is one of my favorite holiday desserts.
In addition to loving gingerbread, I also love cranberries. The combination of the two together is one of my favorite flavor pairings.
Upside Down cake is a wonderful way to get really a really moist cake. The batter is placed over the chosen fruit and baked to get a gooey bottom that is eventually flipped to become the top. The gingerbread in this cake is so rich and full of flavor and the tart cranberries are the perfect combo for this cake. I like to keep this cake simple with a light dusting of powdered sugar, but a little whipped cream would be delicious as well.
Check out even more gingerbread recipes to celebrate all thing gingerbread for National Gingerbread Cookie Day!
- Candied Ginger-bread Snaps by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Cranberry Gingerbread Upsidedown Cake by Cheese Curd In Paradise
- Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Gingerbread Biscotti by Sweet Beginnings
- Gingerbread Bundt with Cookie Butter Frosting by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Dip by Kate's Recipe Box
- Gingerbread Donuts by The Redhead Baker
- Gingerbread Hot Cocoa by Our Good Life |
- Gingerbread Shortbread by Palatable Pastime
- Gingerbread Waffles by Caroline's Cooking
- Pogen's Ginger Snaps (Copycat) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
What do you need to make Cranberry Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake?
- Eggs
- Unsalted Butter
- Molasses
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Cold Water
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Ground Ginger
- Fresh Cranberries
- Springform Pan or a Cake Pan
- Parchment Paper Liners
How do you make Cranberry Gingerbread Upstide-Down Cake?
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch spingform cake pan with butter and set aside.
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine egg, sugars, molasses, butter, and water and mix well. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger and salt. Slowly, add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture while mixing on low speed.
- Evenly spread cranberries in the cake pan. Evenly pour the batter into cake pan, and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick is almost clean when inserted into the middle of the cake (you will have some crumbs, but not raw batter).
- Remove from oven and allow the cake to slightly cool so you can handle the cake pan. Flip upside down and gently remove the springform.
Frequently Asked Questions
My springform is leaking- what can I do?
The can can be wrapped in foil to help prevent leaks. Sometimes springforms can warp and it can cause issues with leaking.
My cake has a little too much height in the middle and is not flat to flip- what should I do?
Trim some of the gingerbread so that is can sit relatively flat on a plate.
Can I use cranberry sauce?
I have not tested it with cranberry sauce. It will likely not stay separate, but will still be tasty. It might work better to swirl the sauce into the cake versus putting it at the bottom.
Are you following me yet? What are you waiting for?
Cranberry Gingerbread Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 stick of unsalted butter melted (+ an additional non-melted Tbl to butter the cake pan)
- ¾ cup molasses
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup cold water
- 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch spingform cake pan with butter and set aside.
- In a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, combine egg, sugars, molasses, butter, and water and mix well. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger and salt. Slowly, add the flour mixture to the molasses mixture while mixing on low speed.
- Evenly spread cranberries in the cake pan. Evenly pour the batter into cake pan, and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick is almost clean when inserted into the middle of the cake (you will have some crumbs, but not raw batter).
- Remove from oven and allow the cake to slightly cool so you can handle the cake pan. Flip upside down and gently remove the springform.
Notes
This post was originally created in 2015, and updated in 2019 for reader enhancement and recipe updating.
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Lori Hart
Delicious cake idea! Perfect for this holiday season too.
Audrey
I love pineapple upside down cake too. Your recipe is great because it is already decorated and ready for serving once you flip it out of the pan. YUM!
Kelster
Very festive cake!
Dawn Bedingfield
Ashley this sounds like something I would enjoy and perfect for a Christmas dinner.
Pavani
Wow, what a rich, decadent and festive cake that is. Love the combination of gingerbread and cranberries - screams holidays and Christmas baking.
Wendy Klik
Perfect Fall Dessert Ashley. It looks delicious.
Hezzi-D
This would be perfect for christmas morning. It looks so good!
Karen
What a delicious twist on upside down cake! Way better than pineapple!
Terri Steffes
Oh man! That looks really good. The powdered sugar looks delicious and lacey on that upside down cake. I think this is perfect for a side dessert on Thanksgiving.
Amy (Savory Moments)
I love gingerbread cake and the addition of cranberries here just makes it even more festive and yummy!
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
This is my kind of cake! Simple, flavorful, and full of cranberries! YUM!!!
Karen
This sounds soooo good! What a great take on upside down cake!
Michelle
This looks delicious and perfect for the holidays! I know my family is going to love this
Ramona
Gingerbread is a holiday staple for me too and this looks incredible with the fresh cranberries - oh wow, it is a must make immediately cake now. I am saving this recipe and will be definitely on the make this holiday season. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful recipe.
Ellen
We do a holiday dessert party every year and this will be a perfect new addition! So festive and pretty.
Leanne
I'm obsessed with all things cranberry and gingerbread lately, but I've never had the two together! Such an awesome and festive idea! Plus, it looks down right delicious!
Pam.
looks great...may I add nuts??
Ashley Lecker
Sure! I would use chopped nuts.