Cranberry Upside Down Cake with Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting

Christmas is less than a week away and the holiday parties are in full swing! I was asked to make a dessert for the last party I went to. I'm always happy to make food for a party but desserts have always been a struggle for me. Personally I prefer savory foods so it's harder for me to think of creative dessert options since I don't really eat dessert. That being said, I think I found my new winter go to dessert! This cranberry upside down cake isn't only delicious, it's beautiful! Plus it's a time saver with a boxed cake mix! The caramelized cranberries hit the light and invitingly glisten for you to take the first bite. The sweet and creamy clementine cream cheese frosting adds the perfect sweet note to balance the cranberries. I grabbed a few greens from outside to really make this cake look extra inviting! 

Cranberry Upside Down Cake with Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting 
1 Box Spice Cake Mix
6 Tablespoons Butter, melted

1 Heaping Cup Brown Sugar

1 Heaping Cup Fresh Cranberries
Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting

Prepare the cake mix as directed. Set a side. In your desired pan, I prefer a 9'' round dish, pour the melted butter into 1 of the pans. Top with the brown sugar and fresh cranberries. Making sure the entire bottom is covered in 1 layer. Pour equal amounts of cake batter into each pan and bake. The cranberry upside down cake cooked for about 30 minutes and just the spice mix cooked about 22 minutes. Once the cakes are cooked, over turn onto two plates until ready to assemble. I had to cut the spice cake top off so it was completely flat so you may need to do that as well.

To Assemble, put the spice cake onto a cake plate. Top with a generous scoop of the clementine cream cheese frosting and spread over the top of the cake until it reaches the edges. No need to spread it over. The weight of the top layer will do that. Top the frosting with the cranberry upside down cake. Be care not to break the cake. You may need some help from a trusty spatula. Gently press the cake down to set it in the frosting. Let sit until ready to eat! 

Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting

8 Ounces Cream Cheese, softened

4 Ounces butter, softened

2 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Zest of 2 Clementines

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and use an electric mixer to combine. Whip everything for about 5-10 minutes. You want the frosting to be light and fluffy. Store until ready to use.