Description
A festive Cranberry Christmas Cake bursting with fresh cranberries, fragrant orange zest, and hints of vanilla and almond. This moist and tender cake is perfect for holiday breakfasts or dessert, pairing wonderfully with hot chocolate or eggnog.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 orange, zested (about 2 teaspoons loose zest)
Fruit
- 2 ½ cups fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with baking spray or use homemade cake release to prevent sticking.
- Beat Sugar and Eggs: In a mixing bowl, beat the granulated sugar with the eggs for 5 minutes until the mixture doubles in size and becomes light and fluffy.
- Add Butter, Extracts and Orange Zest: Incorporate the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest into the egg mixture. Beat everything together for an additional 2-3 minutes until well combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour and kosher salt to the wet mixture. Stir gently just until the flour is incorporated without overmixing so the cake remains tender.
- Fold in Cranberries: Carefully fold in the fresh cranberries to evenly distribute them throughout the batter.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 42-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cake to cool completely in the baking dish before cutting and serving. Enjoy warm or at room temperature with your favorite holiday beverage.
Notes
- Prepare the baking pan carefully by spraying with baking spray or using a homemade cake release to ensure easy removal.
- Use a handheld grater or zesting tool to avoid including the bitter white pith when zesting your orange.
- Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.
- This cake is delicious served for holiday mornings with hot chocolate or eggnog.
- Do not overmix the batter after adding flour to maintain a tender crumb.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/15th of cake)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 120mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
