Cranberry Sorbet and Cranberry Upside Down Cake

Cranberries have been a bit of an obsession these days. Sorbet, cake, cornbread, frozen yogurt, muffins...
We won't get into my citrus zesting obsession....

What a sour little fruit. But I am happy to report some very sweet recipe successes! These go very well together -- or apart.

Sometimes it's nice to have something puckery on a hot summer day. :p

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{Vegan} Cranberry Sorbet
inspired by The Bitten Word
12 ounce frozen cranberries
3 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 lemons worth of zest and juice {this may be a bit extreme!! the recipe says to put strips of lemon peel in while you boil, then remove before blending....but who am I to follow directions?}

Bring all ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Puree in blender...pour into pan and freeze until solid. Then cut into narrow strips and run through the Champion Juicer for a smooth frozen treat. {Or use your ice cream maker as the original recipe suggests.}

Cranberry Upside Down Cake
inspired by The Pixelated Crumb

6 tablespoons Smart Balance
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 cups cranberries
1/2 teaspoon orange zest {I used grapefruit...zested the whole thing...probably more than 1/2 teaspoon}
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soy milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan {I used a springform pan}. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle mixture evenly over bottom of pan; arrange cranberries in a single layer on top. Sprinkle the zest over the cranberries.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined.

Spoon the batter carefully over the cranberries, and smooth the top. Place the pan on a baking sheet {to catch spills} and bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes and then run a knife around edge of cake and invert onto a rimmed platter.