My Cranberry Cake is an easy one bowl snack that can be made with fresh or frozen cranberries. It’s what you’re bringing to every occasion on your social calendar this season.
that first fresh cranberry recipe of the season is magical!
This easy one bowl cranberry cake is based on my super popular Rhubarb Breakfast Cake. It’s the sort of thing you’re definitely going to want to whip up on repeat this season ~ from those crisp fall weekend mornings right through to all your holiday gatherings. Every time I bake with cranberries I fall in love all over again, they have the brightest boldest flavor of any berry. So yeah, toss a bag (or two, or three) into your basket, because once you make this easy cranberry cake you’ll want to make it again and again. And then you’ll move on to cranberry muffins, cranberry butter, and cranberry pie…
are you afraid of fresh cranberries?
Lots of folks think fresh cranberries are too tart to bake with ~ but oh boy are they wrong. Fresh berries baked up in this cranberry coffee cake have a lovely raspberry-like flavor ~ don’t be afraid of them!
Did you know that when you bake cranberries they lose that sharp astringency ~ the heat from the oven breaks down the fruit, releasing its natural sugars and softening that acidic edge. They do a complete 180 in the oven and it’s magical. Those little ruby red jammy pockets are everything!
cranberry cake ingredients
- fresh cranberries
- you can use frozen as well.
- sugar
- butter
- egg
- buttermilk
- or half & half + lemon juice
- vanilla and almond extracts*
- baking powder and salt
- sparkling sugar
- this does double duty ~ provides a pretty topping but also an extra burst of sweet in every bite to balance the tart cranberries.
*I use almond and vanilla extracts in the batter, it’s a combination I can’t get enough of. I love that you get a little bit of both flavors, and the combo has its own unique effect. The next time you bake, give it a try.
How to freeze cranberries
Cranberries freeze easier than almost any other fruit ~ they will last the year in your freezer and come out looking just like the day they went in!
- The easiest way, and the way I do it, is to stack the bags of fresh cranberries, just as they come from the store, in the back of my freezer where they’ll stay nice and cold and perfect for up to a year.
- If you feel the need to wash your berries, do it before you freeze them. Make sure they are completely dry before filling zip lock freezer bags or storage containers.
The minute fresh cranberries make it to market I stash a bunch of bags in the back of my freezer, I have a whole section dedicated to it, and I especially love being able to bake with them through the long winter months after the holidays.
How to use frozen cranberries in your cranberry cake
- Use frozen cranberries straight from the freezer, do not thaw them first.
- Note that when you fold frozen berries into your already thick batter it will stiffen up. That’s normal, the cold berries are firming up the butter. Just take a little extra time to mix them in.
I top my cranberry cake with a shower of sparkling sugar
Sparkling sugar, aka extra coarse or decorating sugar, is a coarse grained white sugar, specially made to decorate baked treats because it doesn’t disappear or melt during baking. Use it when you want some serious glitter on your cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. I sprinkle some on before and after baking for extra glitz and the little bit of added sweet crunch is fabulous on this cake. I love this effect, I also use it on my Scottish Shortbread.
why I love this cake so much
A recipe like this is a treasure. It’s easy enough to whip up on a whim, and can really go from breakfast to dessert (just add a dollop of whipped cream.)
Cranberry cake has got that iconic holiday appeal, so it’s ideal to serve or bring along to seasonal events. And because it’s so simple ~ no frosting or fussy details ~ it makes transporting and serving easy. Check out my Cranberry Orange Cake for another option for holiday parties.
The cake is based on my popular easy rhubarb cake, and can be customized in lots of ways, starting with using different types of fruit depending on what’s in season.
cranberry cake comment highlights (from 300+ comments)
So many of you have made and love this cake, ~ here are just a few of the things you’ve had to say (I read each and every comment and try to respond quickly to questions!)
Some common threads…
- you especially loved the vanilla and almond extract combo!
- many chose to substitute buttermilk for the half and half and lemon juice.
- lots of you made it gluten free using a gluten free baking mix.
- adding orange zest to the cake was a popular choice.
- you were surprised by how thick the batter was, especially when using frozen berries (the cold frozen berries will stiffen the batter.)
JKT says “I made this on Thanksgiving morning. I was a nice treat to snack on while preparing the big dinner. I love the combination of the tart cranberries and the sweetness of the cake.”
MICHELLE baked her cranberry cake in a loaf pan.
SARA makes it in mini loaf pans for gifting.
FRAN ran her frozen cranberries through the food processor first to break them up.
LORALEE added white chocolate chips (genius!)
KL uses frozen blueberries.
LISA let the batter sit in the fridge overnight and baked in the morning.
BO loves to use buckwheat flour instead of white all purpose. FRAN used white whole wheat.
SUFFUSED adds walnuts to the top. Others added chopped pecans.
KATHY C tops it with a orange cream cheese frosting, while MARYJANE uses a simple almond glaze.
SUE made the cake into muffins and they turned out fabulous.
SUSAN baked it in a 9×13 pan for 40 minutes.
JANE “forgot the milk and lemon and it was still delicious!”
SHELBIE made mini bundt cakes to give as gifts.
S “added almond slivers to the batter and made candied
cranberries to decorate it with. Turned out really pretty and tasty.”
JUDY advises “Don’t skip the almond extract – it really adds just the right touch.”
CATHY “Couldn’t believe how sweet and wonderful the fresh cranberries were. The cake was light and delicious.”
Happy baking!
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Cranberry Breakfast Cake
Video
Equipment
- 9×9 inch square baking pan
- parchment paper (optional)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup half and half or milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp almond extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole cranberries, you can use frozen, but don't thaw.
- 2 Tbsp sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9×9 inch baking pan. I like to line mine with a 2 sheets of parchment paper with long ends, so I can lift it out later for easy slicing, but that's optional.
- Mix the half and half with lemon juice and set aside. Note: you can substitute buttermilk if you like.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar together for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of your bowl as needed, until light and fluffy. This step helps lighten and aerate the cake.
- Beat in the egg and extracts, followed by the baking powder and salt, and keep scraping that bowl.
- Lower your mixer speed and blend in 1/2 the flour, just until it's almost all blended, then add the half and half, and finally the rest of the flour. Just blend until the flour is incorporated, and then stop.
- Gently fold in the cranberries, making sure to get them evenly distributed but not crushed. If you like you can reserve a handful of cranberries to pop onto the top of the cake before baking.
- Spread the batter (it will be quite thick) evenly into your pan. Add your extra cranberries to the surface of the cake, pushing them in gently.
- Sprinkle the sparkling sugar over the surface of the cake and then bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until risen, golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter on it. Try not to over bake the cake, and check on the early side, especially if your oven runs hot.
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan, then, if you used parchment, you can remove the cake to cool completely, or slice while still slightly warm.
- Store the leftover cake in the pan on the counter covered with foil.
Nutrition
More cranberry recipes to love
- Cranberry Gingersnap Pie
- Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
- Nantucket Cranberry Pie
- Cranberry Almond Tart
- Maple Cranberry Butter in 15 minutes!
- Mulled Wine Cranberry Sauce
- Cranberry Crumble Pancakes
I thought the dough was too thick; it never became ‘until light and fluffy.’ And, it was very difficult to spread in the pan. In addition, I think I can taste the baking powder. My husband says it is too tangy for him.
I will probably end up eating all of it, and giving a portion away. The taste of baking powder is too strong for me. I followed the recipe and put in two teaspoons.
Is there anything you can suggest to avoid this strong baking powder taste in future? I would love to try it with other fruit, ie blueberries.
M
Occasionally you can taste baking powder if the dry ingredients aren’t blended together well, so there can be little clumps of baking powder in the finished cake. Also, feel free to reduce it a bit next time.
The best coffee cake. We love it with blueberries.
Coulf I substitute orange juice for lemon and a little orange zest? My family loves orange cranberry muffins. This recipe sounds delicious!
The lemon juice is meant to sour the milk so would think that may alter the recipe?
I think that would be nice, orange and cranberry work so well together.
My family loves orange cranberry. I am trying this
Could I substitute i
Yes, that sounds great Nancy, please report back!
I only use soy milk. Since it is miserable outside, I’d like to use what is in the house. What can I adjust for good results?
Go ahead and substitute the soy milk for the milk in the recipe Lesia, it should be fine.
I have leftover homemade cranberry sauce that I froze after thanksgiving. Could I use that instead of fresh cranberries?
You might, but it would be a different sort of result. You might do a swirl in the batter, or something like that.
I made this recipe for my family on Christmas morning and everyone absolutely loved it!!! I added white chocolate chips that I had and it added a little sweetness! I also just sprinkled granulated sugar on top. I doubled the recipe for my large family and the 40 minute baking time worked. My pregnant daughter begged me to make the cranberry cake for New Year’s morning again,so of course I did!
Love the idea of the white chocolate chips, thanks LoraLee!
5 stars! I have made this many times, but today, 12/22/19, I converted it to individual small loaf pans. I gave the berries a quick pulse in the mini processor (equal to a rough chop), followed the recipe (I live at 6275 feet altitude in Colorado, so I always have to adjust flour), topped with almonds and sparkling sugar. They are beautiful! Will make beautiful, yummy gifts for Christmas. ? Thank you!
Love your tweaks, Sara, and Merry Christmas!
Made this today. Since the batter was so thick added about 1Tbs ricotta w whey. Increased vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Added about 1/2 cup additional cranberries. Mix all my bake goods in food processor. Cranberries were rough chop. Love this! Always have thermometer in the oven as the temp is always 50 degrees lower than the setting. Very nice to have a smaller size cake recipe. Everyone loved it. Thanks
Also will make a great cake for Valentine’s Day!!
This was so good and easy to make!! Awesome recipe! Everyone looooooved it! Thanks so much! Great addition to our brunch table!
Where do I find sparkling sugar?
If you click on the photo of the sugar in the post above, it will take you to it, here.
Wow! So easy! Literally came out of the oven a couple of hours ago.
Yum!
I’m baking one today for friends 🙂