Cranberry-Orange Upside-Down Cake Recipe!

https://www.triedandtruerecipe.com/cranberry-orange-upside-down-cake/

I've served this with a dollop of rosemary whipped cream on each slice (shown below) and I've also made a version where you add mascarpone to the whipped cream to make it a more stable frosting for the entire cake (shown above). Both are delicious!

Rosemary simple syrup:
2 large sprigs rosemary
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
Rosemary whipped cream:
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
4 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup (from above)
4 ounces mascarpone cheese (optional, see Note 1)

Cranberries:
8 ounces cranberries (rinsed)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 blood orange (juiced and zested; yielding 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Caramel layer:
4 tablespoons butter
½ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Batter:
½ cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 blood orange (juiced and zested; yielding 2 teaspoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving:
Powdered sugar (optional)

Make the rosemary simple syrup:
Place the rosemary sprigs in a saucepan with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of granulated sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 2 hours. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Strain the syrup into a bottle or jar. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The syrup should be completely cool before making the whipped cream.

Prepare the rosemary whipped cream:
Place 1 cup heavy cream in a large bowl. Add ½ cup sifted powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons rosemary simple syrup. Beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the mascarpone if using and continue beating just until stiff peaks form, being careful not to overmix it. Cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours.

Prepare the cranberries:
Place the cranberries in a small saucepan with ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons blood orange zest, and 2 tablespoons blood orange juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the cranberries pop and soften. Lightly break up the cranberries with your spoon. Turn off the heat.

Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk until smooth and pour into the cranberries. Stir until completely combined. Set aside at room temperature as you prepare the rest of the cake.

Make the caramel:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan. Set aside.
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup of light brown sugar. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens slightly in color.

Turn the heat to low and add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Make the batter:
Combine ½ cup almonds with 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Sift 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons of baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt into a small bowl. Set aside.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of granulated sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream them together. Add 2 eggs and beat until smooth.
Add half the sifted dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until just combined. Add 2 teaspoons of blood orange zest, 2 tablespoons of blood orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and half the milk, and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining milk. Beat until just combined. Don’t over-mix!

Gently fold in the almonds.

Assemble the cake:
Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator. Pour the cranberries over the caramel and smooth them into an even layer. Pour the batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake the upside-down cake:
Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Let the cake stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. The cake should still be warm to the touch.

To serve:
Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Let the cake cool completely. If serving with the mascarpone whipped cream, spoon the frosting over the entire cake and then slice. Finish with orange zest on top if desired. Otherwise, finish the cake with powdered sugar, slice, and serve each slice with a dollop of rosemary whipped cream on top.

Notes
Note 1: Use mascarpone cheese if you want a more stabilized cream that can be used to fully frost the cake.

This is just with the whipped cream (no mascarpone), not fully frosted

The whole process (this is for an unfrosted cake, just a dollop of whipped cream on each slice)