About the Recipe
Discard the elaborate frosting! This Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Ginger Upside Down Cake emphasizes natural flavors, combining invigorating cranberries, zesty oranges, and subtle ginger.
The flavors dance on the palate, with tart cranberries cutting through the cake’s sweetness, bright orange zest adding a citrusy lift, and ginger introducing a gentle warmth. This balance ensures a moist, tender, and airy cake without excessive sweetness.
The cake offers a delightful texture contrast: the soft, fluffy cake base and the rich, sticky caramelized topping. This combination enhances enjoyment and creates an inviting visual appeal.
Making this upside-down cake is straightforward, allowing flavors to meld beautifully. Arrange cranberries and oranges on the pan’s bottom, where they caramelize in their juices, creating a luscious topping. Inverting the cake reveals its gorgeous, jewel-like topping, making it an impressive centerpiece for any gathering.
This exquisite gluten-free dessert combines sophistication with comfort. It’s an ideal meal-ending treat or a delightful pairing with tea or coffee. The absence of elaborate frosting highlights the natural flavors, making it a healthier alternative that satisfies a sweet craving.
This cake transcends the realm of a mere dessert; it’s a harmonious celebration of flavors and textures that coalesce in a captivating manner. Each bite offers a sensory experience that leaves an indelible impression, making it a memorable choice for any occasion. Embrace its simplicity and elegance, allowing the vibrant flavors of cranberry, orange, and ginger to take precedence.
Ingredients
Cake
½ cup + 1 tablespoon sweet rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
½ cup + 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
¼ cup brown rice flour
¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature or ½ cup oil
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
½ cup whole milk, room temperature/ buttermilk
8 oz sour cream, room temperature
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of ground cloves
1 teaspoon orange zest plus long strips of zest for garnish
Cranberry Orange Ginger Sauce
3 cups fresh cranberries one 12 ounce bag
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 navel orange, peel and pith removed, flesh cut into segments
1 cup water
Preparation
In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, and ginger.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the cranberries begin to burst, approximately 7 minutes.
Add 1 cup of water and simmer until the mixture thickens, approximately 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the orange. Allow the mixture to cool.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly brush one 6-inch cake pan with vegetable oil or cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca starch, white rice flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl, starting on low speed and increasing to high speed until soft peaks form. When the beater is pulled out, a peak should rise, and the very tip should fall. Set aside. (See note about skipping this step.)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar over medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, add the egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until combined.
Keeping the speed on low, slowly add the dry ingredients in three batches, adding the sour cream and milk in between, mixing until just combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in one-third of the whipped egg whites to loosen the batter. Then carefully fold in the remaining whipped egg whites until almost combined. Fold in the sprinkles just until evenly distributed.
Divide the batter among the prepared baking pans and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Pick each cake pan up 1-2 inches and drop it on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the middle and a toothpick comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs. This cake will appear very light and airy in texture when gently pressed, so take care not to overbake it.
Remove from the oven. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely. To do this, I place a large wire rack or sheet pan over the baking pan and, holding it together, carefully flip the cake to release. Peel off the parchment paper, then place a wire rack over the top, and carefully flip right side up.
Notes
