Cranberry cake can be tricky—too dense, too sweet, or the cranberries sink straight to the bottom. After years of holiday baking (and more than a few failed test batches), I’ve learned the secret to getting this cake right.
This cranberry cake is the kind of Christmas dessert people end up raving about—light, festive, and incredibly easy to serve to a crowd. It bakes up with a crackly, golden top, a buttery crumb, and bright pops of tart cranberries that keep the sweetness perfectly balanced.
What Goes Into This Cake:
Making The Batter
The way you mix this batter affects the whole cake, so it’s worth slowing down for these steps.
Note #1 – Whipping the eggs and sugar
Instead of relying on baking powder or soda, this cake rises from air. You’ll be whipping the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thick, pale, and almost doubled Skimping on the time here changes the texture completely.
Note #2 – Blending in very soft butter
Because the eggs are already whipped, the butter doesn’t need to be whipped till it is creamed—it just needs to disappear into the mixture. Using butter that’s gotten very soft—almost creamy— does this.
Tip: The easiest way to get butter to an almost creamy stage is to cut it into small pieces and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Note #3 – Folding in the cranberries
Cranberries burst easily. Once they break, their color bleeds through the batter and the cake can bake patchy. Fold the cranberries in gently, just until the berries look evenly spaced. You don’t want to see pink streaked batter.
How to Serve A Cranberry Cake
Because the cake isn’t overly sweet, it works just as well for brunch as it does for dessert. Serving it is simple. Once it’s completely cooled, cut it into squares and let the golden edges and bright cranberry pops speak for themselves.
It’s perfect on its own, but if you want to dress it up, a small dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream adds a soft contrast to the tart berries.
Storage Instructions
IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of this buttery cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the cooled cake for up to three months. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
More Christmas Cake Recipes
- Orange Cranberry Cake
- Christmas Roll Cake
- Christmas Poke Cake
- Christmas Cheesecake
- Gingerbread Layer Cake
Cranberry Cake
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, very soft and room temperature (plus additional to grease the baking dish)
- ¼ cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, for the batter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, to toss the cranberries to prevent sinking
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces fresh whole cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9×13 glass baking dish and set aside.
- Using a handheld mixer, on medium-high speed, beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl for 6-7 minutes until thick, pale yellow, and almost doubled in volume.
- Add the butter, milk, vanilla, and almond extract to the whipped eggs. Beat for an additional 1-2 minutes or until fully combined and smooth.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add 2 ½ cups flour and salt to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- In a separate bowl, toss the cranberries with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour until lightly coated.
- Fold the flour coated cranberries into the batter. Spread the cranberry cake batter into an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. You can lightly tent the dish with foil the last 10-15 minutes of bake time if browning too fast.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
- If rinsing your cranberries before use in this recipe, be sure they are dried very well with a paper towel. You do not want to add any extra moisture to the batter.
- Frozen cranberries can be substituted for the fresh, however, they need to be patted dry very well before adding to the batter. Do not thaw prior to adding, or they will release excess juice and discolor the batter when mixed in.
- Be sure that all your ingredients are at room temperature to ensure your batter is well mixed and all the ingredients are uniformly incorporated.
Nutrition
Comments
Stacy says
Turned out great! Full of flavor.