Thinking About Thanksgiving: Pumpkin-Cran-Cherry Up-side Down Cake

Are you a recipe buff like I am?

I have recipe newsletters (many) that come into my email, and I can spend hours reviewing the recipes.

It's kind of like getting absorbed in a really good book (which I haven't done for a while).

When I run across a recipe title that seems odd or questionable, I just have to review the recipe in depth and detail.

I ran across this recipe yesterday and imagined what all the different flavors would taste like.

Really? Pumpkin, cranberry, and cherry?

All the flavors of Thanksgiving....and with Thanksgiving approaching quickly I just had to give this a try. The up-side down cake just may be worked into my holiday feast.

Or maybe the (local) non-bakers out there would like to order one, or two, or three, OK, OK, maybe I'm getting carried away.....

The recipe called for cherry preserves, but I have a wonderful (I'm going to call her relative) relative that makes home-made jams, jellies, and preserves.

This beautiful jar of Bing Cherry home-made preserves came from Amber Coressel.

I have already contacted her with a request for more.

She sells her wonderful home-made products for $3.75 a jar, and let me tell you, they are worth every penny.

The recipe said to use a 9x13 baking pan, but I do not own a platter (pretty enough) big enough to hold that size cake.

So I grabbed the 9 inch heart shaped pans that my wonderful Grandmother gave me, and divided the recipe into two.

The pans are suppose to be lined with foil, and I had a sweating attack when I realized I was almost out.

I'm holding my breath.....

Whewwww.....just enough to line both pans.

Pans are lined, sprayed with cooking spray, and ready to go.

The goopy-goodies that end up on the top of the cake have to be heated and placed in the bottom of the foil lined pans.

When my preserves, dried cranberries (crasins), and butter was heated, I poured the goopy-goodies in my pans equally, and then sprinkled sweet flaked coconut on top (maybe 1/4 c. each).

I spread the pumpkin cake batter on top of the goopy-goodies equally and placed them in the oven.

The reason the picture is taken in the oven is because I almost forgot to take a picture.

I placed the pans in the oven, turned around, and there sat my camera.....DUH!!

As you can see, this cake is very good.

My daughter and granddaughter were fighting over the last bite.

This is what I did:

Pumpkin-Cran-Cherry Up-side Down Cake

1-10 oz. jar home-made Bing Cherry Preserves, or store bought cherry preserves

1 c. dried cranberries (crasins)

1/3 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sweet flaked coconut

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 c. canned pumpkin

3/4 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (opt)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 - 9 inch cake pans with foil; grease foil.

Set aside. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, crasins, and 1/3 c. butter. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Pour mixture equally into baking pans, spreading evenly. Sprinkle equal amounts of coconut on top. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the 1/4 c. butter and the shortening. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin. Alternately add four mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in (opt) walnuts. Carefully spread batter over preserve mixture in pans.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (mine took 30 minutes). Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes.

Carefully invert onto serving platters, remove foil. Spoon any preserve mixture remaining on the foil onto cakes. Serve warm.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy