Winter grape & citrus upside down cake

A fluffy cake filled with winter citrus zest topped with sweet and juicy grapes and brown sugar is a unique and delicious dessert to add to your holiday desserts or any time this winter. 

Disclosure: I received products from Melissa's Produce to help in the creation of this recipe for the Family Baking Challenge. As always, all opinions are my own.

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I'm sharing this grape cake recipe as part of Melissa's Produce's Family Baking Challenge. This challenge is happening right now and anyone can join in! You can find out more and sign up here and get baking this holiday season to enter to win some terrific prizes. 

This recipe features Melissa's Winter Crunch red seedless table grapes. These grapes are in season from September to December and are perfect for using right now. They are extra sweet and crunchy due to their longer growing season.

I was excited to bake with grapes as they are something I usually eat fresh out of hand. I do use Concord grapes in pie, but that's about it. This cake turned out so, so good! The grape flavor was sweet and strong and they provided a sticky, juicy, and yummy top to this cake. 

This is such a unique dessert, too. I have never had anything like it before and neither had the people who ate some. It's really pretty as well. A dollop of whipped cream at the end is also a nice touch. You could also dust the cake with some powdered sugar if you chose.

The cake itself is filled with winter citrus aroma and flavors, making it a lovely choice for the holidays or any winter time dessert. This would be a nice dessert for Christmas, Yule or Winter Solstice, or the New Year.

I used clementines in this cake since we always have them around this time of year and the citrus flavors are a lovely contrast to the sweet sticky grapes. Lemon zest also adds bright flavorful to the cake.

This winter grape and citrus upside down cake is sure to wow your family and friends! It's unique, elegant, and delicious. 

This cake recipe is my adaptation of one of the Family Baking Challenge's grape recipes.

Yield: 8 servings

Author: Amy (Savory Moments)

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Winter Grape & Citrus Upside Down Cake

A fluffy cake filled with winter citrus zest topped with sweet and juicy grapes and brown sugar is a unique and delicious dessert to add to your holiday desserts or any time this winter.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of one large lemon
• zest of one large orange (or 2-3 clementines)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 cups firm red grapes, halved cross-wise

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment liner and the sides of the pan with butter.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together butter and granulated sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each addition. Mix in vanilla, and the orange and lemon zests.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a glass measuring cup, combine the lemon juice and milk.
4. Turn the mixer on to low. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar on the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer. Add the grapes in one layer covering the bottom of the pan. Gently spoon the batter over the grapes and spread it into an even layer.
6. Bake for about 45 - 55 minutes, until the cake if lightly golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Cool for 20 minutes. Use a small rubber spatula or butter knife to slide along the edge of the cake and cake pan. Carefully turn the cake pan upside down onto a wire rack.
8. Finish cooling. Slice and serve. Top with whipped cream, if desired. This cake is very moist and best eaten the day it is baked.
   

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Check out these other cake recipes: 

Persimmon Gingerbread Loaf Cake

Flourless Black Bean Chocolate Cake

Lemon Raspberry Buckle 

Glazed Eggnog Loaf Cake