4 months ago
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This cranberry Christmas cake recipe is all things merry and bright! ✨
Looking for a festive cake to bake this holiday season?
If you’re in the mood for an easy-to-bake holiday-themed dessert to share with your loved ones, check out this unique cranberry Christmas cake recipe! It’s become a Hip2Save team favorite over the years, and we’re hoping you’ll love it just as much as we do. If you have any leftover fresh cranberries from the holidays, this is a great way to use them.
The result is a sweet/tart cranberry orange holiday cake that you can cut up and serve into bars as a brunch treat or special dessert. The red and white color is beautiful and the texture is more like a quick bread. Plus, this one tastes sweet, but not overly sweet like some Christmas cakes.
Love this wood wreath board pictured above?
Hooray for a simple to bake affordable treat!
This cranberry Christmas cake is so easy and suitable for those that don’t bake often or want to switch up from traditional cakes. With just six easy main ingredients, you’ll be able to whip it up in no time with simple affordable ingredients.
Drizzle the top with a simple orange glaze to take this sweet and tart treat to the next level.
Cranberry Christmas Cake
yield: 16 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 40 MINUTES
total time: 55 MINUTES
Sweet and tart vanilla cake with a zesty orange glaze for a perfect holiday dessert.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3 eggs
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 12 oz. fresh cranberries (2 cups)
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
Directions
1
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.
2
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, mix eggs with granulated sugar for about 5 minutes until the mixture gets fluffy and doubles in size.
3
Add butter and vanilla, and mix for another couple of minutes. Fold in the flour until combined and then fold in the cranberries.
4
Pour batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-43 minutes until lightly browned. The middle will be cooked through when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool.
5
For the Glaze:
Whisk powdered sugar with orange juice and orange zest until smooth. Drizzle it over the cake, and serve. YUM! This made 16 two-inch squares.
Additional Notes
Adapted from BarefootInTheKitchen.com.
Tips for baking the best cranberry Christmas cake:
- Although this recipe calls for fresh cranberries, frozen cranberries will work as well. I would let them thaw on the counter first so they will be easier to incorporate into the batter. If you’re not a cranberry fan, then blueberries would be a yummy alternative!
- The orange zest and juice are kind of optional but I love the flavor it adds to this cranberry holiday cake so much! I had tangerines on hand and used that instead of oranges and they worked great, too.
- The addition of white chocolate chips would be yummy. Using white chocolate and swapping the glaze for cream cheese frosting would result in a cake similar to Starbucks cranberry bliss bars! YUM.
My family LOVES this cranberry Christmas cake!
I think the texture is more like a muffin or coffee cake, and it is so delicious served with coffee. The glaze adds an awesome orange flavor. I like to cut up the squares and serve them on a wood tray with fresh rosemary and a few extra cranberries so the presentation is festive.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Check out what my Hip2Save teammates have to say about this recipe:
“This cake is the ultimate holiday treat! It tastes like Christmas and is perfect for breakfast, dessert, or anytime & anywhere in between! It has become one of our family favorite Christmas cakes that we make every year!” – Bryn
“I love this recipe! It’s super simple – I can whip it up in a few minutes and I love the tartness from the cranberries combined with the rich buttery cake – this is always a hit when I make it!” – Melinda
Need a last-minute decor idea? Pick up some extra oranges for Pomander balls!
