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Filled with tart fresh cranberries and topped with a sweet cinnamon-and-pecan streusel, this cranberry cake makes a delicious holiday coffee cake or simple dessert to enjoy by the fire.
‘Tis the season for cranberries!
I get so excited when I see those first bags of fresh cranberries hit the grocery stores. Only a handful of stores near me carry bags of frozen cranberries year-round, so I usually have to make the handful of bags of fresh cranberries I toss into my freezer each year last until the next holiday season.
I love these tart little jewels. Aside from being an absolute must for homemade cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, they’re perfect in everything from cranberry orange muffins to my cranberry pecan goat cheese ball.
If you’re like me and can’t get enough of the sweet-tart flavor of cranberries this time of year, you’re gonna want to add this cranberry cake to your baking list ASAP.
Fresh cranberry cake with cinnamon streusel
I used my cinnamon roll cake as the base for this cranberry cake. It’s a buttery sheet cake with just enough sweetness to balance out the tartness of the cranberries.
There’s nothing better than those pretty bursts of fresh cranberries throughout baked goods like cranberry nut bread and cranberry gooey butter bars. So I used fresh cranberries here, too, for those jewel-like pops of color and tart flavor.
The whole thing is finished off with a streusel made with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Dust the top with some powdered sugar before serving and you’ve got a cake that is simple to make but is packed full of flavor.
It’s pretty much the perfect coffee cake to serve for a Christmas brunch. Or you can plate up a slice to enjoy for an easy dessert by a roaring fire next to the Christmas tree.
Honestly, there’s no bad time to eat this cake!
How to make my cranberry cake
Like most of my coffee cake recipes, this cranberry cake is pretty dang easy to make. And since you don’t have to glaze or frost it after baking, it’s a cake you can throw in the oven just before company arrives and be ready to wow them when it’s done!
Ingredients you’ll need
For the cake itself, you will need:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries
Here in the United States, most fresh cranberries are sold in 12-ounce bags, so you will need 1 bag for this recipe.
If you are using frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them before adding them to the batter or else they will stain the cake batter. Keep them frozen and the cake will still bake up just fine!
One of the things that makes this cranberry cake so perfect is the streusel topping. For that, you will need:
- ¾ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
If you are allergic to nuts or don’t like pecans, feel free to leave them out of the streusel. The cake will still be delicious!
Helpful resources
- If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, there are several tricks for softening brown sugar that you can use.
- Before you get started, make sure you know how to measure flour correctly. Getting this seemingly simple step right will help your cranberry cake turn out perfect every time.
- Don’t stress if you ran out of brown sugar in the middle of baking. You can whip up a simple brown sugar substitute to use instead.
Making this recipe
Start by whisking together the dry ingredients for the cake: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar. Once that’s well combined, whisk in the eggs until smooth. Add the milk, sour cream, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and well combined.
Switch to a spatula and stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Add the cranberries and fold them in.
Spread the batter into a 9×13-inch pan that’s been sprayed with nonstick spray and lined with parchment paper.
Now make the streusel topping. Stir the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, then use a fork to stir in the melted butter. Once clumps form, stir in the chopped pecans.
Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Bake the cranberry cake for 40-45 minutes; it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. You can serve the cake warm or at room temperature. I suggest dusting it with powdered sugar for a pretty finish before serving!
Storage and freezing tips
Store this cranberry cake covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, depending on how warm your kitchen is. You can also keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days if you need to store it for longer.
Feel free to freeze any leftover slices of cranberry cake. Wrap them in a layer of plastic wrap and pop them into a freezer-safe airtight container or zip-top freezer bag. Freeze for up 1-2 months.
When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, unwrap the cake and let it thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours or pop it into the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
Yes! I recommend using plain greek yogurt if you don’t want to use sour cream in the batter.
No, leave the cranberries frozen. Thawing them first will make the batter turn a strange color.
To make this cake dairy free, swap the butter for your favorite vegan butter substitute and use your preferred non-dairy milk and non-dairy yogurt in place of the sour cream.
Cranberry Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 12 ounces fresh or frozen cranberries if using frozen, do not thaw
For the streusel
- ¾ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray (1) 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then add in the milk, sour cream, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and well combined.
- Using a spatula, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in the cranberries. Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- To make the streusel topping, stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Use a fork to stir in the melted butter until clumps form. Stir in the chopped pecans if using.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature. If desired, dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
