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!
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 am just amazed at how awesome this cake turned out. I never post comments on recipes, but I just had to let you know it was absolutely fabulous. As a non-turkey eater, I had no idea what to do with the 4 cups of cranberries in my produce delivery box. Honestly, it was hard not to eat the entire cake in one sitting! (I used whole milk instead of half and half and regular sugar on top because I didn’t have sparkling). Thanks for this!
These were really good! I made 2 batches…one with AP flour, regular sugar and unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and a second batch using white whole wheat flour, Swerve granulated and the almond milk. No lemon or half and half in either.
I made them in silicon muffins cups, some jumbo and some regular.. I got 9 jumbo out of one batch and 12 regular plus 2 jumbo from the 2nd batch….
I did run the frozen cranberries through the food processor to rough chop them so they would distribute through the muffins better….liked how that came out.
Sprinkled all with turbinado sugar and baked for 40 minutes.
The AP flour ones were very tricky to get out of the silicon cups without breaking apart – might be because they were jumbo sized or too warm or just because they were more delicate in texture. But after they were cooled and after using a micro spatula to free up the sides, they came out….delicate but yummy!
The WWW flour ones came out pretty easily…even in the jumbo sized cup but especially for the regular sized ones.
Both kinds are good but they are different! The AP flour are clearly yummier and more decadent and lighter in texture. The White Whole Wheat flour muffins taste quite good and are a bit firmer in texture…better for muffins….and better for the waistline! Using MyFitnesspal calculations for 12 servings, the AP flour with almond milk are 231 calories (242 with half and half), the WWW flour with Swerve and Almond milk are 167 calories.
Would be happy to eat either version, but the WWW version is clearly better for making muffins because of the resulting denser texture. We especially liked the cranberries…will be using them in baking more often going forward!
Wow, thanks for the FULL report! I know it will help out a lot of folks 🙂
It just turned to Fall but I’m already going crazy with seasonal foods! I made this cake today with some frozen cranberries (& a few blueberries) I had in the freezer – absolutely delicious!! I used a 9in spring form pan so I had to adjust the bake time, about 15 min longer. The batter was thick so I made a swirl design on top using a fork to even things out, the juice from cranberries I stuck on top ran through the fork marks and it looked beautiful! Definitely making this for Friendsgiving and probably Christmas too 🙂 Thank you!
Can I use non fat almond milk or coconut milk?
Yes, that’s fine.
I plan to use dried cranberries. What adjustments should I make?
You can just substitute them without making any adjustments Moni.
I have this in the oven now with frozen cranberries. How much time is this likely to add to the baking time? Thanks.
It might increase your time by a minute or two, but not much.
In the end, it took at least 50 minutes, possibly slightly more. We loved it and will definitely bake it again. In addition to the frozen cranberries, I used a 9 inch springform pan, buttermilk instead of the half and half/lemon and added both sparkling sugar and a sprinkling of slivered almonds on top. Thanks for a great recipe.
Has anyone made this with Craisins (dried cranberries)?
That’s all I had on hand… hope it turns out!
The best cranberry recipe I have made yet. So moist and delicious
I love this cake….It’s just lovely. I’m going to give it a go with frozen raspberries and perhaps sprinkle some sliced almonds on the top. I just love raspberries and almond together. I’m personally very fond of the rhubarb version, however I’m taking it to work and there’s always that one person who’s not a fan. I can’t imagine!
These were absolutely delicious and very easy to make. Next time I’ll be adding more cranberries!! YUM