Molten cranberry upside-down cake

I found this amazing recipe for cranberry upside-down cake on the Smitten Kitchen Web site and decided it was the perfect way to use up my cranberries left from TF10. It came together nicely, though it seemed to be WAY to much for the cake pan. Smitten Kitchen warned that it might overflow and suggested a pan underneath... good thing I listened!
She said to check it after 30 minutes because hers cooked much faster than the 45 minutes called for in the original recipe. Mine had risen a ton and looked very golden and set on the top, so I pulled it - probably around 35 minutes.
I let it cool for the recommended 15 minutes before turning it out on a platter.
It looked beautiful... until I saw this - totally raw in the middle. I almost cried :(
Oh, crap!
I cut out a slice and watched it ooze:
And ooze:
It kept going and wouldn't stop :(

The slice tasted excellent - around the outside where it was cooked. I ended up cutting out the entire middle of the "cake" and dumping it down the sink. We were left with a really yummy cranberry upside-down cake ring :)

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2/3 c packed brown sugar
12 T butter, melted
1 T molasses, honey or light corn syrup
2 c flour
1 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 c sour cream
2 c fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and cover the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, 4 T of melted butter, molasses/honey/corn syrup and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir well and pour into prepared cake pan. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and add the remaining melted butter (1/2 cup) and beat until combined. Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and beat until smooth.

Add the cranberries to the prepared pan and gently press into an even layer. Dollop the batter on top and use an offset spatula to gently nudge it into place without disturbing the cranberries underneath.

Bake on the center rack (with a tray underneath to catch drips) until golden and a tester inserted into just the cake comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes but it could take up to 45.

Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan then insert over a flat platter that is larger than your cake pan. Remove the parchment paper.

Serve warm. Smitten Kitchen suggests freshly whipped cream.

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This was an excellent cake... minus the bizarre molten center. I guess I needed to be a bit more careful when I checked it. I'd make this next time I have extra cranberries and watch it closer.

Good luck ;)