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Cranberry Cake

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pieces of Cranberry Cake stacked on top of each other
Packed with citrus and tangy cranberries, this cranberry cake will be a big hit for a holiday treat or afternoon snack.
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Table of Contents
  1. Cranberry Cake Ingredients
  2. How to Make This Cranberry Cake Recipe
  3. How To Serve
  4. Storage
  5. More Recipes You’ll Love
  6. JUMP TO RECIPE

This divine cranberry cake is a moist and flavorful treat that brings thoughts of warmth and coziness. The sweetness of the bread and citrus zing of the orange zest pair perfectly with the subtle tartness from the cranberries for this dessert or breakfast bread.

pieces of Cranberry Cake stacked on top each other

Cranberry Cake Ingredients

Cranberry Cake raw ingredients that are labeled
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You’ll need:

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup salted sweet cream butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest (1 medium-size orange)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1½ teaspoons pure almond extract
  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 (12-ounce) bag of fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar (optional garnish)

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

CRANBERRIES: You can substitute frozen cranberries for fresh cranberries. Do not thaw the cranberries before adding them to the cake batter.

ORANGE: You can omit the orange zest, but a little bit of orange zest really adds a citrus zing to the cake. 

FLOUR: You can substitute unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour in a 1:1 ratio for this recipe. 

How to Make This Cranberry Cake Recipe

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature so that they blend completely into the batter.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set it aside.

STEP TWO: Using either a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment or a large mixing bowl and a handheld electric mixer on high speed, whip the eggs and sugar for 5 to 6 minutes until light yellow in color and thickened in consistency. The mixture should form a ribbon.

eggs and sugar whisked in a bowl

STEP THREE: Add the softened butter, orange zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue mixing on high for 1½ to 2 more minutes.

butter, orange zest, vanilla, and almond extract blended in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Lower the mixer speed to low speed and add the 2 cups of flour ½ cup at a time. Mix just until combined.

flour blended into the butter mixture in a bowl

STEP FIVE: In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.

PRO TIP:

Coating the cranberries with flour will help keep them suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom of the cake.

STEP SIX: Fold in the cranberries.

PRO TIP:

Be careful when folding in the cranberries as you don’t want to break them or you will end up with streaking in your cake.

cranberries folded into the batter in a bowl

STEP SEVEN: Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean.

cake batter poured in a baking dish then baked

STEP EIGHT: Allow the cake to completely cool before removing it from the pan and slicing it into twenty 2½-inch x 2-inch pieces.

STEP NINE: Lightly dust the top of the cake with the powdered sugar before serving.

pieces of Cranberry Cake topped with powdered sugar on a parchment lined wooden board

How To Serve

Whether you are making this sweet cake during the holiday season or just craving cranberries any time of year, you can whip up this cake and enjoy it for dessert or a special breakfast. Add a latte or cup of tea to wash it down.

Our applesauce cake and oatmeal cake are two more delicious cakes that you can enjoy year-round.

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Store any leftovers of this sweet buttery cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

IN THE FREEZER: You can freeze the cooled cake for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

pieces of Cranberry Cake topped with powdered sugar

Tart cranberries and the zing of citrus make this easy cake a great addition as a holiday dessert or sweet treat anytime the craving strikes. This moist cake is easy to make and will delight your senses with the tasty combination of flavors.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I freeze cranberry cake?

This great recipe will keep in the freezer for up to three months as long as you wrap it well.

Can I leave out the orange zest in this recipe?

If you prefer to stick to just cranberries in this cake, you certainly can but we do find the orange adds something special to this cake.

Can I add glaze on top of the cake instead of just powdered sugar?

If you prefer to add an easy glaze on the cake, you can add it for extra sweetness.

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pieces of Cranberry Cake stacked on top of each other

Cranberry Cake

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Packed with citrus and tangy cranberries, this cranberry cake will be a big hit for a holiday treat or afternoon snack.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 20 slices

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup salted sweet cream butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange zest, 1 medium-size orange
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • teaspoons pure almond extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar, optional garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking dish with parchment paper. Set it aside.
  • Using either a stand mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment, or a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on high speed, whip the eggs and sugar for 5 to 6 minutes until light yellow in color and thickened in consistency. The mixture should form a ribbon.
  • Add the softened butter, orange zest, vanilla extract and almond extract. Continue mixing on high for 1½ to 2 more minutes.
  • Lower the mixer speed to low and add the 2 cups of flour ½ cup at a time. Mix just until combined.
  • In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour.
  • Fold in the cranberries.
  • Spoon the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean.
  • Allow the cake to completely cool before removing from the pan and slicing into twenty 2½-inch x 2-inch pieces.
  • Lightly dust the cake with the powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

  • Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature so that they blend completely into the batter.
  • Coating the cranberries with flour will help keep them suspended in the batter rather than sinking to the bottom of the cake.
  • Be careful when folding in the cranberries as you don’t want to break them or you will end up with streaking in your cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 66mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 266IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg
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