Cranberry Pop Cake with Butter Sauce

Check this photo {above} out- it blew my mind, standing by in awe as I watched my friend, Jin Hee whip out her very native Korean dish, Chopchae, I believe is how it's spelled... (you should hear her say it :)). To us, the actual translation is vermecilli (I know that's also spelled wrong)-- but, it's a meal consisting of these freakishly long and skinny, very translucent, noodles that look more like squid tentacles (but taste much better), stir fried with a plethora of veggies, beef, sauces, and OIL.. lots of it. ...... if you can't read between the lines, it was fab-u-ess!!! I certainly out- ate the other girls by reigning in at 4 helpings. Sheepish..

Anyway, this all was well, my first ever Korean potluck and this wonderful chopchae was the main show stopper, without question... Another gal brought her homemade sushi rolls, another brought sticky rice with chicken curry, and then tall BFG me waddles in with a buttery, American, boring cake.

(Oh the chopchae recipe and instructions will possibly be another post... perhaps.)

.. but!! If I haven't lost your attention yet, my cake wasn't boring and was actually quite pretty and very tasty!!! So, here is the recipe for cranberry pop cake with butter sauce. And.. if you aren't already cranberry-ed out by at least Friday (leftovers, you know), use any leftover cranberries for this recipe, or save this cake for a Xmas potluck....

Like I say, loved the outcome of the cake, and naturally, the butter sauce makes the cake a complete luxury if you don't mind a little more lard in the ol' diet.

Cranberry Pop Cake

3 tbsp butter, softened (let sit at room temperature for an hour)
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8 x8 inch cake pan.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the evaporated milk, stirring until just combined. Fold the cranberries in gently. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (those of you who live at higher altitudes i.e. Utah, may need to allow a longer baking time, but don't take my word for it- let your nose tell you when it's done).

Butter sauce recipe below.

Butter Sauce

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup whipping cream (I used half&half)
1 tsp vanilla (I used almond extract instead-yum!)

In a saucepan over medium high heat, combine all ingredients except for extract. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, and add your choice of extract.

Serve warm with hot cake (if it sits for too long, whisk it well before serving).

PS. I pulled this out of the oven, whisked up the sauce, and ran to my potluck, failing to take a picture of the final outcome. Deepest apologies:)