Easy Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe
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4.8
24 reviews
Excellent
Easy Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe
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I can’t imagine the holidays without this easy Cranberry Christmas Cake! It’s a doubly good dessert or breakfast treat with tangy cranberries and a rich, warm vanilla butter sauce. This cranberry cake is sweet enough to entice a smile out of any grinch. High altitude, gluten-free options and Cranberry Bundt Cake too!
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Ingredients
Cranberry Cake (see notes for high altitude adjustments)
- 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar I used all-natural cane sugar
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups whole fresh cranberries or frozen, do not thaw
- 2 cups milk I used whole milk
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoon regular vanilla extract or use bourbon vanilla extract
Vanilla Butter Sauce
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup whipping cream not fat free
- 1 cup sugar I use all natural cane sugar, but you can use white sugar
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (375 for High altitude) and lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan (or 2 8x8 square or round pans). High altitude 375 degrees F.
- Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- Add cranberries and stir to coat, then add milk, vanilla and melted butter to dry ingredients, mixing well, batter will be thick.
- For high altitude you may need to add additional 1-2 tablespoons milk, it should still be thick, but all of the ingredients incorporated, don’t overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for 40-50 minutes (for high altitude check at 35 minutes), until the top is golden brown. A toothpick or skewer inserted should come out clean or with a few crumbs. Cool on wire rack. If needed, cover cake with a loose piece of foil the last 10-15 minutes.
- If desired, sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.
- Meanwhile make the butter sauce, In a small heavy-bottomed sauce pan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter, sugar, heavy whipping cream and vanilla. Stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and has a syrup consistency, bring to boil for about 1 minute. Sauce will thicken as it cools, delicious thin or thick. TIP | It should coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Sauce is best served warm, it will thicken as it cools, so if you need it thicker, allow it to cool until desired consistency.
Equipments used:
Notes
- This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to high attitude, but I have a few adjustments for you.
- Variations
- zest
- Vanilla
- whipped cream
- Serving Suggestions
- Serve as is, cooled or even warm from the oven, sprinkle a little sparkling sugar on top.
- Storage | This cake will keep covered in an airtight container on the counter for about 3 days, in the fridge up to 7 days and frozen up to 3 months.
- Recipe adapted from Brenda at A Farmgirl's Dabbles
- Increase all-purpose flour between 2-4 tablespoons, I increased by 2 tablespoons for 5280 above sea level.
- Reduce granulated sugar to 1 ¾ cups
- Reduce baking powder to 3 teaspoons
- Batter should be thick, if too dry then add a little extra whole milk, water or orange juice a tablespoon at a time, do not overmix. I used an extra tablespoon of milk.
- Increase baking temperature to 375F degrees and start checking for doneness at 30 minutes, covering if needed if browning too quickly.
- For a gluten-free cranberry cake, replace the flour with your favorite all-purpose GF alternative. You can also use oat or almond flour. It’s just as delicious this way!
- If you can’t find fresh or frozen cranberries, see below for how to rehydrate dried cranberries.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of fresh grated orange zest for a cranberry orange Christmas cake.
- Instead of the Vanilla Butter Sauce you could also make this browned butter glaze or drizzle this basic vanilla buttercream glaze over the top, or serve with some fresh whipped cream or keep it plain.
- Try adding ¼ - ½ teaspoon almond extract.
- Cranberry Bundt Cake | In your favorite 10-cup or larger bundt pan, spray well with a good bakers spray or butter well and then dust with a little flour. You will increase your baking time to about 50 minutes, cake is done when skewer inserted comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
- Add a dollop of whipped cream and grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top, or try a scoop of vanilla ice cream. For the best texture cool completely, then if desired to serve warm, rewarm in 150-175 degree oven for 20 minutes. If you are drizzling with vanilla sauce, then you might also want to make these simple sugared cranberries, they add such magical sparkle!
- Add a dollop of whipped cream and grate a little fresh nutmeg over the top, or try a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- For the best texture cool completely, then if desired to serve warm, rewarm in 150-175 degree oven for 20 minutes.
- If you are drizzling with vanilla sauce, then you might also want to make these simple sugared cranberries, they add such magical sparkle!
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1serving
Calories
431kcal
(22%)
Carbohydrates
71g
(24%)
Protein
5g
(10%)
Fat
15g
(23%)
Saturated Fat
9g
(45%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
4g
Trans Fat
0.4g
Cholesterol
41mg
(14%)
Sodium
369mg
(15%)
Potassium
119mg
(3%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
43g
(86%)
Vitamin A
515IU
(10%)
Vitamin C
4mg
(4%)
Calcium
119mg
(12%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 15+ servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 431 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 431kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 71g | 24% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Trans Fat | 0.4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 41mg | 14% |
| Sodium | 369mg | 15% |
| Potassium | 119mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 43g | 86% |
| Vitamin A | 515IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 4mg | 4% |
| Calcium | 119mg | 12% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
24 reviews
Excellent
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