Nancy Silvertons Cranberry Ginger Upside Down Cake Food

ALICE WATERS'S CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare topping: Put butter and brown sugar in a 9-inch round cake pan, and put it in the oven. As the sugar dissolves, stir to distribute the mixture evenly over the pan. When the sugar starts to caramelize, remove pan from the oven and allow to cool.
• In a small bowl, combine cranberries and orange juice. Toss to coat berries well. Spread berries evenly in pan, and sprinkle with any juice remaining in bowl. Set pan aside, and prepare the cake batter.
• To prepare batter: In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream butter with sugar until pale, light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat in egg yolks one at a time, scraping bowl once or twice. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, ending with dry ingredients. Set batter aside.
• Using electric mixer, whisk egg whites with cream of tartar just until whites are stiff enough to hold a slight peak. Fold whites into batter 1/3 at a time. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and spread it evenly over cranberries. Bake until top is browned and cake pulls away slightly from edges of pan, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cake cool for 15 minutes before turning onto cake plate. Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream, flavored, if desired, with orange liqueur.

NANCY SILVERTON'S CRANBERRY-GINGER UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the topping: Slice ginger into 1/4-inch disks. Combine with cinnamon and wine, and bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add cranberries and let them soak until liquid cools. Cranberries should be slightly soft but not mushy.
• In a 10-inch, oven-safe frying pan, heat butter with maple sugar, stirring mixture until it melts. Tilt pan to coat the bottom evenly; cool.
• When maple-butter mixture is at room temperature, arrange drained cranberries in concentric circles in pan, starting in middle. There should be a single layer of cranberries. Set aside.
• Make the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter, and beat in brown sugar until well mixed. In a second bowl, stir together yolks and molasses. In a third bowl, sift together flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.
• Alternate adding dry ingredients and yolk mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• Dissolve baking soda in 1 tablespoon hot water. Stir into batter. Stir in sour cream.
• Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff. Whisk a third of the whites into batter; fold in remaining whites.
• Spread batter in an even layer over cranberries. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and allow to sit a minute or so. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and invert it onto flat serving platter. Serve immediately with a large dollop of sour cream or crème fraîch.

UPSIDE-DOWN GINGERBREAD WITH CRANBERRIES AND PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter.
• Spread in bottom of ungreased 8 or 9inch square pan.
• (Despite the recipe saying"ungreased" I like to lightly spray it with Pam, since when I didn't, a bit of the topping stuck to pan).
• Arrange pineapple, cranberries, and nuts over sugar mixture.
• In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice.
• Add all remaining gingerbread ingredients and blend well.
• Pour batter evenly over pineapple, cranberries, and nuts.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Serve warm with whipped cream.

CRANBERRY GINGER UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE W/SPICED ORANGE CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F Spray a 10" round cake pan with non-stick vegetable spray.
• Cranberry Mixture: In a small sauce pan, melt butter with brown sugar. Add cinnamon and bring to a boil, whisking ingredients. Pour into the prepared pan and cover with cranberries. Set aside.
• Gingerbread: Sift together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside.
• Beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, then add the molasses. Add the dry ingredients all at once and slowly add water, scraping bowl well.
• Pour batter over cranberries in the prepared pan. Bake 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Invert onto a serving plate and allow to cool.
• Spiced Orange Carmel Sauce: Caramelize sugar over medium-hight heat until sugar is a light amber. Carefully add orange juice (may splatter). Add remaining ingredients and boil 1 minute. Cool then serve with cake.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, egg; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes; set aside., Generously grease six 6-oz. custard cups; place a piece of butter in each cup. Combine the brown sugar, walnuts and coconut; sprinkle into cups. Spread each with cranberry sauce; top with cake batter., Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes before inverting onto dessert plates. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.