This marvelous cranberry cake is a real crowd pleaser, and it works just as gorgeously with lingonberries. It is dense and sweet, but also incredibly tender and balanced with just the right amount of tartness from the berries. Perfect for celebrating and gifting throughout the entire holiday season, cranberry cake is fabulously easy to prepare. Served with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, it's a simple yet satisfying dessert...and equally welcome at the breakfast or brunch table!
If you're looking for more cranberry (or lingonberry) recipes, you might be interested in this savory cranberry sauce or lingonberry sauce.
Jump to:
Ingredients for Cranberry Cake
- cranberries or lingonberries (fresh or frozen)
- eggs
- sugar
- butter
- pure vanilla extract
- almond extract (optional)
- kosher salt
- all purpose flour
- lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional, to serve)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Cranberry Cake
Cut the butter into small pieces, and then let sit at room temperature until softened.
In the meantime, lightly grease a 10 inch springform pan with a bit of extra butter, and heat the oven to 350℉.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and significantly increased in volume. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes. (Patience is a virtue...and very important here!)
Then add the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and salt. Beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Add the cranberries (or lingonberries) and the flour.
Mix the berries and flour into the batter by hand with a silicone spatula or spoon. The mixture will be very thick at this point.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. (If you're using frozen berries, the mixture will be quite stiff, so "spreading" the batter will feel more like pressing it into the pan.)
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then before unmolding, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any sticky areas.
Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Hint: Lingonberries are absolutely wonderful in place of the cranberries here. And I will confess to a little secret...when I have access to lingonberries, they are always my first choice for making "cranberry" cake!
Equipment
When serving this cake as a dessert, I prefer to bake it in a springform pan. But for gift giving, some small loaf pans (or even a cupcake tin) work equally well.
Storage
Cranberry cake will keep for several days at room temperature when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
Top tip
When mixing the eggs and sugar together, do not be tempted to skimp on the beating time. Seven or eight minutes may seem like forever, but since there is no leavening in this cake, this is a critical step! Whipping the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is light and airy (aka "ribbon stage") is what provides all of the height and soft tenderness to this cake.
Related
Looking for more classic desserts perfect for autumn and winter menus? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Cake
Equipment
- 10 inch springform pan (alternatively this cake can also be baked in small loaf pans or as cupcakes)
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (plus a bit extra for greasing the pan)
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 2½ cups (12 ounces) cranberries or lingonberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional, to serve)
Instructions
- Cut the butter into small pieces, and let sit at room temperature until softened.
- In the meantime, lightly grease a 10 inch springform pan with a bit of extra butter, and heat the oven to 350℉.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is pale yellow, thick, and significantly increased in volume. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add the softened butter, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and salt. Beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cranberries (or lingonberries) and the flour. Mix them into the batter by hand with a silicone spatula or spoon. The mixture will be very thick at this point.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. (If you're using frozen berries, the mixture will be quite stiff, and spreading the batter will feel more like pressing it into the pan.)
- Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Then prior to unmolding, run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen any sticky areas.
- Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, if desired.
Leave a Reply