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4.5 from 6 votes

Cranberry Cake

This Easy Cranberry Cake is delicious served at Christmas or Thanksgiving, although once you taste it you will want to bake it year-round! A simple cranberry cake recipe with a tender moist crumb studded with fresh cranberries throughout – simply delicious served plain or with a simple buttery sauce.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 20 slices
Calories: 321 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 350 g ( 2¾ cups) plain flour (all purpose flour)
  • 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar caster or granulated
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 200 g (⅞ cup) butter softened
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 180 ml (¾ cup) milk room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
  • 1 orange zest only
  • 200 g ( 2 cups) fresh cranberries
  • 5 tbsp cranberry sauce (optional!!)
Sauce
  • 55 g (¼ cup) butter
  • 100 g (½ cup) sugar
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) heavy cream
  • ½ tsp almond extract

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F and mist a 9x13 inch rectangular pan with cake release and line with baking paper.
  2. Put the dry ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  3. Add the softened butter, eggs, milk and orange zest and beat with an electric hand mixer. Start on a low speed setting, increasing the speed as the ingredients combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Toss the cranberries in sugar and fold into the cake batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and level. Dot with the cranberry sauce – this is totally optional by the way – and swirl it into the batter.
  5. Bake for 45-40 minutes, or until the cake is golden, springy to the touch and coming away from the edges of the tin.
  6. Lift the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely and slice. I cut my cranberry cake into 24 fairly small squares – you can cut into bigger and more generous servings if you like!
  7. Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves – do not allow it to boil! Stir in the cream and almond extract until you have a velvety golden sauce. Pour the warm sauce over the cake just before serving.

Notes

  •  
  • Unless specified otherwise all your ingredients including butter eggs and milk should be at room temperature in order to achieve a smooth batter. If one or more of the ingredients are cold they will cause your batter to split or look curdled.
  • If your milk is cold from the fridge then heat briefly in the microwave or saucepan until just tepid. Make sure the milk is body temperature - not too hot!
  • Place cold eggs into warm water for five minutes to bring them back to room temperature.
  • Cut cold butter into cubes and leave for an hour on your counter to warm up or use margarine (Stork).
  • Unless specified otherwise all your ingredients including butter eggs and milk should be at room temperature in order to achieve a smooth batter. If one or more of the ingredients are cold they will cause your batter to split or look curdled.
  • If your milk is cold from the fridge then heat briefly in the microwave or saucepan until just tepid. Make sure the milk is body temperature - not too hot!
  • Place cold eggs into warm water for five minutes to bring them back to room temperature.
  • Cut cold butter into cubes and leave for an hour on your counter to warm up or use margarine (Stork).
  • This is a great cake for bake sales and parties as it serves a big crowd. It keeps well in an airtight container for 2-3 days if you want to keep it all to yourself!

Nutrition Information

Calories 321kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 56g (19%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 55mg (18%) Sodium 171mg (7%) Potassium 128mg (4%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 41g (82%) Vitamin A 307IU (6%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 47mg (5%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 20slices

Amount Per Serving

Calories 321

% Daily Value*

Calories 321kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 56g 19%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 55mg 18%
Sodium 171mg 7%
Potassium 128mg 3%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 41g 82%
Vitamin A 307IU 6%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 47mg 5%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.