Upside down

Call me a creature of habit, but when I have extra cranberries in my freezer, I instantly think to combine them with gingerbread. Tart and spicy just work so well together, and it really is the best way to sum up the holiday season for me. Last December, I was perusing Christmas markets in Berlin in zero degree weather, and I found an adorable flower-shaped silicone mini bundt pan. Little did I know, my darling friend Julia bought it for me and brought it back to the states to give to me! I have not used this pan as much as I should, and I had to break it out again for this occasion. I adore silicone pans because there is literally no prep and very easy cleanup - they are the ultimate non-stick bakeware! I imagine that this recipe could be used with a full 8" size cake pan, but aren't the mini ones cuter?


As for the gingerbread cake recipe, I was very pleased by its light and tender texture and perfect blend of spice. While the original recipe called for whole milk and buttermilk, I decided to use all buttermilk to increase the tenderness and fluffiness of the cake. Because buttermilk is more acidic than "sweet" milk, you need to add more baking soda (a base) to balance it.

So if you're living somewhere cold, pop one in the microwave for a few seconds and make yourself a cup of tea. If you're wearing shorts in San Diego's 75 degree weather, a cold glass of milk might be more suitable. But wherever you are, this gingerbread bundt will hit the holiday spot :)



Mini Cranberry Gingerbread Bundts
Adapted from These Peas Are Hollow
Makes about 18 mini bundts

5 Tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 C brown sugar, packed
fresh or frozen cranberries


2 1/4 C all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted then brought to room temperature
3/4 C dark molasses
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1 C buttermilk


Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan with nonstick spray or butter and flour (if you are using a silicone mold, then no prep is needed). 


For the cranberry topping, melt butter and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Cook until sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to caramelize. Spoon a small amount of the caramel into the bottoms of the bundt molds, so that it thinly covers the entire base. Sprinkle on cranberries and set aside the molds.


Whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together molasses and sugar, then add butter and egg, mixing completely between each addition. Slowly add in buttermilk and mix until incorporated. In a few additions, mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fill bundt molds 3/4 full and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes, then turn molds upside down on a wire rack and let the bundts cool completely.