This cranberry pecan upside down cake is a perfect winter treat. It will look so fresh and vibrant on your holiday table! Cranberries, pecans and caramel, top this tender sour cream cake.
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🎁An upside down cake for the holiday season
An upside down cake is cake that is baked "upside down" with the toppings at the bottom of the pan. It is flipped shortly after it comes out the oven, so that it is served right side up. Usually fruits are used as a topping. In this case, we are are holiday-ing up the upside down cake, by topping it with cranberries!
I love holiday cakes and have a few recipes to check out, like pineapple carrot cake, pumpkin streusel coffee cake, creamy peanut butter fudge, or red velvet cheesecake trifle.
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Cranberries - can be fresh or frozen. If using frozen, there's no need to thaw them first.
- Pecans - use whole pecans if you like big pieces, or use pecan pieces if you prefer.
- Brown sugar - use light or dark. I used light in this recipe.
🔪Instructions
Make the topping first by melting butter and brown sugar over low heat. Stir until the ingredients melt and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the caramel into the bottom of a 9-inch greased baking pan. Pour cranberries and pecans evenly over the caramel.
To make the cake, whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside. Beat butter until softened and then beat in sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
Mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Pour the cake batter over top of the caramel topping. It's a thick batter, but spread it as evenly as you can. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the upside down cake sit for exactly 10 minutes after it has come out of the oven, and then flip it so it's the right way up. let the cake cool completely before serving.
To see complete step-by-step instructions, see my web story for this recipe!
✔️Expert Tips
- You need to flip out the cake exactly10 minutes after it comes out the oven. The caramel will still be soft then.
- Use a 9-inch pan with 2-inch sides. The size of the pan is really important. You need room for this cake to rise.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 13x9x2 inch pan.
💭FAQ's
The cake can sit at room temperature for two days. You can also refrigerate it for about a week.
Wrap the baked cake in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, leave at room temperature overnight. Reheat in a 325°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
This isn't a great cake to make ahead. The topping can be made and refrigerated for up to 1 day.
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📋 Recipe
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Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Topping
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 ¼ cups cranberries fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup pecans chopped or left whole
Upside Down Cake
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Topping
- Pre heat oven to 350°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan that is at least 2-inches high.
- Place butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the ingredients melt. Let simmer for 5 minutes and then pour into the bottom of the prepared cake pan.
- Spread cranberries and pecans over the caramel topping. Set this aside while you make the cake.
Upside Down Cake
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter in a large bowl until light. Mix in sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Stir in eggs, sour cream and vanilla.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. The batter will be thick. Pour the cake batter over the cranberries and pecans in the cake pan, and use a spatula to smooth it out evenly.
- Place in the preheated oven and immediately lower the heat from 350°F to 325°F. Bake until the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Remove cake to a wire rack to cool for exactly 10 minutes.
- Run a knife around the sides of the insides of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the sides. Turn the cake out on top of a platter. This cake will keep for 2 days at room temperature in an airtight container, or 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use a 9-inch pan with 2-inch sides. The size of the pan is really important. You need room for this cake to rise.
- Use fresh or frozen cranberries in this recipe. If using frozen, there is no need to thaw before use.
- Like larger chunks of pecans? Use whole pecans and place them in a pattern under the cranberries.
- You need to flip out the cake exactly 10 minutes after it comes out the oven. The caramel will still be soft then.
- Double the recipe and bake in a 13x9x2 inch pan.
Sue geiger
This is our go-to breakfast coffee cake for thanksgiving and Christmas. The sour cream makes it so moist and we usually can’t wait until it’s completely cool to cut into it. Once you make it, it will be on your list of top recipes.
Nina
Thanks Sue! I'm so glad you love it!