Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake
This week is one of my favorite weeks of the year. Thanksgiving is all about the food. And football. And family. And friends. It doesn’t get much better than that.
This cake can make Thanksgiving even better for you. I made this the other night and I had to literally put it away so I wouldn’t eat the whole thing. It’s absolutely amazing. It combines all my favorite Thanksgiving flavors with the pumpkin cake topped with a caramel/pecan/cranberry topping. And it is one of the easiest desserts to make ever. If you need a dessert for Thanksgiving, definitely give this a shot.
We loved it so much I will be making it again. Twice in one week. I never repeat recipes, let alone in the same week. Seriously, it’s that good.
One Year Ago: Thanksgiving Two-Fer Bars and NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two Years Ago: Oreo Brownies and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake
Yield: 8-10
Ingredients:
8 ounces (2 sticks or 16 Tbsp) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups cranberries
4 ounces (1 cup) coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Melt the butter in a small saucepot over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until smooth.
Pour the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of the cake pan.
In a medium bowl combine the cranberries and pecans. Place them in the pan over the brown sugar mixture.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree and oil.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Carefully spread the batter over the cranberry pecan topping.
Bake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
Cool the cake for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Place a large plate or platter on top of the cake. Invert the cake and plate together. Remove the pan. Carefully peel off the parchment paper.
Recipe from Martha Stewart
I’m using this cake as my monthly What’s Baking challenge. Be sure to check out Catherine’s blog for the roundup later this month.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
I love a good indian spiced dish – this looks great, and would be perfect to eat at lunchtime!
this sounds great- so quick and full of flavor, perfect for weekday lunches! hope things are going well in cinci!
beantownbaker — February 24th, 2013 @ 10:25 am
Thanks – things are starting to get settled here. We are closing on a house in a few weeks, so we’ll be moving again soon. Hope all is going well for you back in Boston!
I hope you are finding Ohio welcoming…even though it’s cold! These chickpeas seem like the perfect dish to help you feel warm and cozy.
beantownbaker — February 24th, 2013 @ 10:26 am
Thanks! We are finding Ohio welcoming. Everyone here is so nice (even if they can’t merge in to traffic to save their life…)
Chick peas and spinach – always make for a delicious and hearty meal! Definitely a good choice.
Is there a substitute for garam masala?
beantownbaker — February 24th, 2013 @ 10:28 am
Garam Masala has a unique flavor, but it is made from a combination of other spices so I’m sure you could find a substitute on the internet somewhere…
This is the perfect go-to recipe for a busy lifestyle…healthful, tasty and so easy to throw together! I hope things settle down for you and your hubs and your place begins feeling more warm and cozy! Meanwhile, you have a delicious satisfying recipe to comfort you!
beantownbaker — March 9th, 2013 @ 3:01 pm
So true!
Oh yum, this looks so warming and delicious!