My keto cranberry upside-down cake is a great Thanksgiving or holiday dessert that will please both keto and non-keto eaters. It’s low in carbs, gluten-free, and full of flavor!
Enjoy a low-carb upside-down cake that features a perfectly caramelized cranberry topping and a moist, buttery almond flour cake.
It balances the tartness of the cranberry with the sweetness of the caramelized brown sugar substitute beautifully.
Making my keto cake is quick and easy and results in a beautiful dessert, making it the perfect ketogenic dessert for all occasions!
It would also make a great keto brunch recipe for family gatherings.
If you’re looking for more festive desserts this holiday season, then you’ll love our collection of Keto Thanksgiving Desserts! We’ve also got a great collection of Keto Thanksgiving Sides.
Oh, and don’t forget to check out our entire collection of keto cakes.
Low-Carb Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
If you’ve never had an upside-down cake, it’s a cake that is baked with its toppings at the bottom of the pan or “upside down.”
After baking, it’s flipped over to reveal the fruit topping that caramelizes and seeps into the cake. It makes for a fruity, moist cake that looks very festive without much work at all.
I have many fond memories of Christmas when my grandmother would make her pineapple upside-down cake. I always loved how pretty it looked and how moist the cake was!
So, this year, I decided to take inspiration from her lovely cake and make a sugar-free, low-carb version, except with cranberries.
And boy, was it a hit! The tartness of the cranberries, paired with the warm brown sugar substitute, makes for the perfect sauce that sweetens the cake perfectly!
This cake recipe features fresh or frozen cranberries for a delicious cranberry cake, making it the perfect dessert when these tart berries are in season.
How To Make A Keto Cranberry Upside-Down Cake
Making this beautifully festive keto-friendly upside-down cake is so easy you’ll want to make it all the time!
You’ll start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees, melting half a cup of butter, and setting it aside to cool.
Now, this baking temperature is lower than most cake recipes to ensure that the topping doesn’t burn while the cake bakes.
In a large bowl, you’ll mix all your dry ingredients for the cake and set it aside. Then, in your skillet, you’ll prepare the cranberry topping by melting the butter and brown sugar substitute. Whisking until smooth and bubbly.
This will take anywhere from two to three minutes. You’ll add the cranberry into the mixture and stir to coat the cranberries evenly.
Then, you simply finish making the cake batter by adding the cooled melted butter, sour cream, and eggs to the dry ingredients and combining well.
You’ll notice that the batter itself does not have any sweetener. This is because the topping will seep into the cake as it bakes, resulting in a sweet and moist cake.
Next, spread the cake batter on top of the cranberry mixture in the cast-iron skillet. The cake is then baked for 40-50 minutes, or until the top of the cake is lightly browned and the cake is firm to the touch.
Once the low-carb cranberry upside-down cake is baked, it must cool slightly before flipping the cake onto a plate. I promise it sounds scarier than it is!
How To Flip An Upside Down Cake
After the cake is baked and has cooled for about 15 minutes, run a sharp knife along its sides to help it release.
It’s essential to release the cake when it’s still warm to prevent it from sticking to the pan. If you allow the cake to cool too long, it will stick to the bottom of the pan.
To flip the cake, use oven mitts and place a serving plate on top of the cast-iron skillet. Hold the cake pan firmly and quickly turn it upside down.
If any cranberry toppings stick to the pan, firmly tap the bottom of the cake pan with the back of a knife or wooden spoon.
Use a spatula to remove any topping stuck to the bottom of the pan and transfer it to the cake.
Ingredients Needed
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- Almond flour finely milled
- Brown sugar substitute
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Ginger powder
- Unsalted butter
- Sour cream
- Eggs, room temperature
- Fresh or frozen cranberries
The Best Sugar Substitute For Keto Cranberry Upside Down Cake
When it comes to deciding which sugar substitute to use for this no-sugar upside-down cake, I have a few favorites for you to choose from.
I recommend that you use a brown sugar substitute in this recipe.
I‘ve also used Lakanto’s golden monk fruit.
In fact, you can use their white granulated sweetener exclusively, but it will not have the same depth of flavor.
Having said that, I’m also partial to Swerve brown sugar which is an erythritol blend.
Similar to Lakanto, it uses sugar alcohols and has a 0% impact on blood sugar.
Surkin gold is another delicious substitute for brown sugar, and I have also used it. The texture of Surkin is closest to traditional brown sugar.
Tag Us
I sure hope you will give this recipe for keto gluten-free cranberry upside-down cake a try. Once you do, make sure you remember to tag us on Instagram and Facebook.
Be sure to also check out our collection of keto cranberry recipes!
If you’re a fan of upside-down cakes, you may want to also try our keto rhubarb upside-down cake for more of the same.
Also, check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations. You might be surprised by how many great keto options are at your disposal.
Grab Our Books
In case you didn’t know, we have authored two books for you, Essential Keto Bread and Essential Keto Desserts, both inspired by your requests over the years.
I pray these keto cookbooks will help make keto a delicious breeze for you.
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The app is loaded with hundreds of yummy recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even desserts!
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Keto Cranberry Upside Down Cake (Gluten-Free)
This recipe for keto cranberry upside-down cake features a perfectly caramelized cranberry topping and a moist, buttery almond flour cake. It balances the tartness of the cranberry with the sweetness of the caramelized brown sugar substitute beautifully.
Ingredients
Keto Cranberry Upside Down Cake
- 2 cups of almond flour finely milled, measured, and sifted
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup of sour cream
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Cranberry Topping
- 12 oz bag cranberries, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup brown sugar substitute
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cake batter dry ingredients: Combine the measured and sifted almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Using a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, cook over medium heat on the stovetop the 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt, along with 1/2 cup and brown sugar substitute. Whisk the mixture until smooth and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the stove and set it aside.
- Add the cranberries to the cast-iron skillet along with the butter mixture and stir well, being sure to cover the cranberries with the butter and brown sugar substitute mixture.
- Proceed to finish the cake batter. Melt the remaining 1/2 cup butter and set it aside to cool.
- Cake batter wet ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, stir the cooled melted butter, sour cream, eggs, and orange extract until they are well combined.
- Fold the butter and sour cream mixture into the batter dry ingredients. Mix until well incorporated. Note that the cake batter does not have any sweetener; this is intentional since the sweet cranberry topping will seep into the cake as it bakes and sweetens it.
- Spread the cake batter to the top of the cranberry mixture in the cast-iron skillet.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the top of the cake is lightly browned and firm to the touch.
- Place the cast-iron skillet on a wire rack and cool slightly for 15 minutes. Then, run a sharp knife along the sides of the cake to help release the cake. Place a large plate over the top of the pan and quickly turn it upside down. It's important to remember to remove the cake while it is still warm to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- Lift the plate, and if any toppings stick to the pan, firmly tap on the bottom of the cake pan with the back of a knife or wooden spoon. Use a spatula to pat any topping stuck to the bottom of the pan and place it onto the cake.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
This cranberry upside-down cake can be baked in a 10-inch cake pan. To do so you will need to grease the cake pan well with butter on all sides and bottom. Then in a skillet pan over medium heat, mix 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt along with 1/2 cup and brown sugar substitute, and cook the mixture whisking at all times until smooth and bubbling, about 2-3 minutes. Add the butter mixture to the bottom of the greased cake pan and then add the cranberries on top of the butter mixture. Once this is done you will add the cake batter to the top of the cake and bake for 40-50 minutes.
The recipe calls for a brown sugar substitute but if you can also opt to use a granulated sugar substitute if that is not easily available.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 325Total Fat: 25.21gSaturated Fat: 10.7gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 6.9gNet Carbohydrates: 4.1gFiber: 2.8gSugar: 0.5gProtein: 6g
Lynn
Monday 4th of December 2023
At what point does the orange extract get added? I don’t see that!
Hilda Solares
Monday 4th of December 2023
Hi Lynn, It's added to the wet ingredients. Thanks for pointing this out, I have updated the recipe.
Dion
Saturday 17th of December 2022
Hi! Can you bake this in a deep springform pan instead of a skillet? Any ideas on how that would change the cook temp and time?
Hilda Solares
Monday 19th of December 2022
Hi Dion, Although I have not tested it should work the same.