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The Best Christmas Cranberry Cake

 


Get ready to fall in love with this festive Christmas Cranberry Cake! With a buttery, moist texture and bursts of tart cranberries, this easy holiday dessert is sure to become a family favorite!

Christmas Cranberry Cake

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Why You’ll Love this Christmas Cranberry Cake:

  • Festive Flavor: The tartness of fresh cranberries pairs beautifully with a buttery, vanilla-almond batter for a sweet and tangy cake that tastes like Christmas.
  • Easy to Make: This cake requires no fussy steps—just mix, bake, and enjoy! And it’s made with simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have at home!
  • Perfect Texture: This holiday cranberry cake is moist and has a delicious crust when baked.
  • Crowd-Pleaser: With its lovely color and amazing flavor, it’s sure to impress at Christmas parties and gatherings.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Be sure to find the full recipe post for this festive cranberry cake (printable too) at the end of the blog post.

  • Eggs
  • Vanilla & Almond Extract
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Flour
  • Butter
  • Fresh Cranberries

You might notice that there is no leavening agent in this cake. When you beat the eggs well and combine them with the sugar, air is incorporated into the batter, which helps give the cake a light, tender crumb without the need for baking powder or baking soda. Cool, huh?

Top Tips for the Perfect Christmas Cranberry Cake:

  • Use Fresh Cranberries: Fresh cranberries add the best texture and tart flavor. Frozen cranberries may be used but can slightly alter the texture.
  • Room Temperature Ingredients: Softened butter and room-temperature eggs blend best for a smooth batter.
  • Don’t Overmix: Gently folding in the flour and cranberries will keep your cake tender and fluffy.
  • Adjust Sweetness: For a sweeter cake, dust with powdered sugar before serving!
  • Can You Use Frozen Cranberries? Absolutely! If fresh cranberries aren’t available, frozen cranberries will work in this recipe. Just add them directly into the batter (no need to thaw) and bake as usual. I don’t recommend dry cranberries, however.

Christmas Cranberry Cake with a Twist (Tasty Variations)

ORANGE CRANBERRY CAKE: Add a tablespoon of orange zest and a splash of orange juice to the batter for a citrus twist!

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY CAKE: Add in 1 cup of white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate) for a decadent addition!

ADD ICING/GLAZE: Top your baked Christmas Cranberry Cake with powdered sugar, a vanilla icing glaze or cream cheese frosting!

CRANBERRY ALMOND CAKE: Add sliced almonds to the batter or on top for a crunchy topping! You can also sprinkle on more sugar on top for an extra touch of sweetness.

STREUSEL CRANBERRY CAKE: Top the batter with a crumbly streusel made from butter, brown sugar, flour, and a touch of cinnamon or nutmeg.

BAKING TIP: The batter is very thick for this cranberry cake, don’t be alarmed! You can spritz the back of a spoon or spatula with nonstick baking spray to help press it into the sides of your 9×13 pan.

Whether you’re serving it as part of your holiday dessert spread or enjoying a slice with coffee with brunch, it’s sure to bring holiday cheer to every bite! I know you’ll love it as much as we do!

Want more Christmas dessert ideas? Try my Apple Pecan Dump Cake, Pecan Pie Cupcakes, and Chewy Molasses Cookies!

Christmas Cranberry Cake

Christmas Cranberry Cake

Author: Courtney Whitmore

A sweet and tart Christmas snacking cake that’s easy to make, delicious and perfect for all holiday gatherings. Cut into squares and serve!

SERVINGS 20 squares

Prep Time 25minutes 

Cook Time 45minutes 

Total Time 1hour  10minutes 

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup salted butter – softened (1 1/2 sticks)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries – (full 3 cups of cranberries)

  • Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan. You can also line your pan with a sheet of parchment paper.

  • Beat together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy and when paddle is lifted up, ribbons form on the batter. About 5-6 minutes.

  • Add softened butter, vanilla extract and almond extract. Beat again for 1-2 minutes.

  • Add in flour and beat until just mixed through.

  • Stir in fresh cranberries. Spread batter into 9×13 pan. Batter will be thick.

  • Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares.

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