I like the addition of cinnamon (surprising with cranberry) and the absence of citrus (so typically found with cranberries), but I think my grudge with this cake is that I'm not positive that it's worth the extra step of whipping the egg whites separately and then folding them in at the end. I have a stand mixer (which I love, and would highly recommend to anyone who loves to bake) but whipping whites after creaming the butter and sugar means stopping mid-cake to wash the bowl and beater. It's not a huge big deal, but it seems inconvenient.
The cake did also stick to the pan, although I waited the 2 hours that the recipe recommended. I ultimately had to jiggle it with a knife all the way around and then lever it out of the pan. Some of the cranberries stuck to the pan, so I scooped them back onto the top of the cake. It made for something less perfect and gorgeous than the picture in the cookbook, but I surprised myself by being pretty mellow about it.
As I made two cakes this afternoon, I reflected on the idea that not only am I practicing making cakes, I'm practicing trying something new. I used to be a basket case if I was serving something I'd never made before to guests. Tonight, I explained the cake project (which does act as something of a disclaimer) but then I felt assured that we'd try the cakes, we might like them, we might not. But the uncertainty of it doesn't upset me the way it once did.
It's a powerful thing, getting used to not being sure.
Cranberry Upside-Down
Cake
¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room
temperature, plus more for pan¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
2¾ cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal
¼ cup almond paste
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 large eggs, separated, room temperature
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup milk
1.
Butter a 9-inch round cake pan; dust with flour,
tapping out excess. In a large skillet,
heat 6 tablespoons butter over medium until sizzling. Add cranberries; cook until shiny, about 2
minutes. Add maple syrup and
cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently,
until cranberries soften but still hold their shape, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.
With a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a
baking sheet to cool slightly before arranging in prepared cake pan. Return skillet to medium heat and cook until
syrup boils and thickens, 3 to 4 minutes; do not overcook. Immediately pour syrup over cranberries; let
cook, about 10 minutes.
3.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in center. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour,
baking powder, and salt. Whisk in cornmeal
with a fork.
4.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat remaining
6 tablespoons butter and the almond paste until well combined; about 30
seconds. Gradually add ¾ cup sugar; beat
until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg
yolks; beat until well combined. Beat in
vanilla and almond extracts. Add flour mixture
in 2 batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the
flour; beat until just combined.
5.
In a clean bowl, with an electric mixer on
medium-low, whisk egg whites until foamy.
Slowly add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Raise speed to high and beat until soft peaks
form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one third
of the whites into batter; fold in remaining whites.
6.
Carefully spread batter over cranberries. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean,
about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire
rack to cool 2 hours before inverting onto a serving plate.
From Martha Stewart’s Cakes
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