12 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 3/4 cups fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature, separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a round cake pan or spray with non-stick vegetable spray. Melt 4 tablespoons butter and the brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it starts to bubble. Pour into cake pan and let cool. In a small saucepan, cook the cranberries and orange juice until cranberries begin to pop. Remove from heat and pour evenly over the cooled caramelized sugar.
In a medium bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. With a mixer, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Mix in egg yolks (one at a time) and vanilla. Mix in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk. Mix in another 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the remaining milk. Finally, mix in the remaining flour mixture.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Gradually fold into the batter and pour over cranberries. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool 15-20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a serving plate.
