GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE with DAIRY-FREE INSTRUCTIONS

By Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I had lots of leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving.  I washed them, placed them in a plastic bag and froze them.  I decided to make something with them so I went looking on-line for a recipe.  A photo of Cranberry Duff caught my eye.  I read the recipe and was a little afraid to try it since there was such a small amount of batter and I was in the mood for a real piece of cake.  The Duff was on the Martha Stewart site and there was also a beautiful photo of Cranberry Upside down Cake.  What I liked about the Duff was the nuts, so I decided to use the Duff topping with the Upside Down Cake bottom.  Of course, I converted the regular recipe into gluten free first.

     This cake is moist and very flavorful.  Though cranberries are tart, the sugar is just sweet enough to balance the tartness of the berries.  The cooked cranberries had a texture and taste like the dried sweetened cranberries you find in stores, only plump and moist.  I love nuts and I enjoyed the taste and texture of them on the cake.

     This cake is easier than many and looks so pretty.  No leftovers of this cake made it to the freezer.  I will definitely make this again.

GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Ingredients

Topping

1 ½ cups	Cranberries – Fresh or Frozen
1/3 cup	Pecans – Toasted and coarsely chopped (I didn’t toast the nuts and they were good this way, maybe toasting would be better…I’ll see next time.)
1/3 cup	Sugar – I used Evaporated cane juice (for topping)
½ tsp.	Cinnamon
2 Tbs.	Unsalted Butter – to grease pan

Cake

6 Tbs.	Unsalted Butter – for Dairy-Free use dairy-free non hydrogenated margarine such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
½ cup	Sugar - I used Evaporated cane juice
1	Egg
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
¾ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
¾ tsp.	Xanthan or Guar Gum
2 tsp.	Baking Powder
¼ tsp.	Sea Salt
½ cup	Milk – Dairy free use non-dairy milk such as soy or almond

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease an 8-inch round pan with 2 Tbs. of butter or margarine.

     Mix the 1/3 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon.  Pour half onto the bottom of the pan.  Arrange the cranberries into one layer on top of the sugar mixture.  Pour the rest of the sugar/nut mixture evenly on top of the berries.  Set aside.

Cranberries with sugar/nut mixture on bottom of pan.

     In a bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer add ½ cup sugar and 6 Tbs. butter or margarine.  Cream until light and fluffy.

     Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined.

     In a separate bowl add the flours, salt, xanthan or guar gum and baking powder.  Mix well with a whisk.

     Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix in well, then add 1/3 of the milk and mix well.  Repeat until all the ingredients are well combined.

Batter when finished.

     Spoon the batter over the layer of cranberries and sugar/nut mixture. Smooth the batter with a wet hand.

Batter on top of cranberries.
 Batter was smoothed out with wet hands.

     Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.  Cake is done when a cake tester or wooden toothpick comes out clean or when the cake springs back when the center of the cake is pressed lightly with a finger.

     Place the hot pan on a rack to cool.  Wait 20 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it.  Then invert onto a rimmed platter or cake dish.

GLUTEN FREE CRANBERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE Ingredients Topping 1 ½ cups Cranberries – Fresh or Frozen 1/3 cup Pecans – Toasted and coarsely chopped (I didn’t toast the nuts and they were good this way, maybe toasting would be better…I’ll see next time.) 1/3 cup Sugar – I used Evaporated cane juice (for topping) ½ tsp. Cinnamon 2 Tbs. Unsalted Butter – to grease pan Cake 6 Tbs. Unsalted Butter – for Dairy-Free use dairy-free non hydrogenated margarine such as Earth Balance Buttery Sticks ½ cup Sugar - I used Evaporated cane juice 1 Egg 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract ¾ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ¾ tsp. Xanthan or Guar Gum 2 tsp. Baking Powder ¼ tsp. Sea Salt ½ cup Milk – Dairy free use non-dairy milk such as soy or almond Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round pan with 2 Tbs. of butter or margarine. Mix the 1/3 cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon. Pour half onto the bottom of the pan. Arrange the cranberries into one layer on top of the sugar mixture. Pour the rest of the sugar/nut mixture evenly on top of the berries. Set aside. In a bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer add ½ cup sugar and 6 Tbs. butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. In a separate bowl add the flours, salt, xanthan or guar gum and baking powder. Mix well with a whisk. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix in well, then add 1/3 of the milk and mix well. Repeat until all the ingredients are well combined. Spoon the batter over the layer of cranberries and sugar/nut mixture. Smooth the batter with a wet hand. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until done. Cake is done when a cake tester or wooden toothpick comes out clean or when the cake springs back when the center of the cake is pressed lightly with a finger. Place the hot pan on a rack to cool. Wait 20 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it. Then invert onto a rimmed platter or cake dish.

-->

Here are some products and brands I like to use: