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4 Comments There is something about cranberries that instantly feels like the holiday season to me. Their bright, tangy flavor makes even the simplest bake feel festive. This cranberry cake is one I come back to every single year. It is easy, fresh, and perfect to serve just as it is. But also easy to make a bit fancier if you want!
Why This Recipe Works
This cranberry cake is one of those recipes that truly belongs to the end of the year. Fresh cranberries bake beautifully in the oven, turning soft and tart, which gives the cake a bright, fresh flavor. You do not need to cook them ahead of time. Simply fold them into the batter raw, and they transform while baking. Serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, or make it extra special with whipped cream and cranberry sauce.
What can you find in this post?
Recipe Ingredients
- Fresh cranberries
Use only fresh berries here, not dried. Dried cranberries will change the flavor and texture completely. - Self-rising flour
You can replace this with all-purpose flour plus baking powder. - Eggs
You will need about 5 medium eggs, roughly 250 g (about 5 large US eggs). - Butter
Use unsalted butter. Plant-based butter can be used, but it will change the flavor slightly.
See the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
How To Make Cranberry Cake
Step 1: Whip the eggs
Start by beating the eggs with the sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Adding lemon zest or a bit of lemon juice is optional, but it does add a nice brightness. You do not have to add it, because the cranberries already provide plenty of tartness.
Step 2: Fold in the dry ingredients
Gently mix in the self-rising flour until the batter is smooth.
Step 3: Add the cranberries
Fold in the fresh cranberries as the final step. There is no need to cook them first. They go into the batter completely raw. Because cranberries are fairly light, they usually stay suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom.
If you want to make sure they do not sink, you can roll them lightly in a bit of powdered sugar before adding them. This makes the surface a little tacky, helping them stay in place.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the cake at 350°F (180°C) for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool before slicing.
FAQ Cranberry Cake
No. The flavor and texture will be completely different. This recipe only works with fresh cranberries.
Yes. The cake keeps well for about two days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Now here’s a tricky question. My solution to this problem is to roll the cranberries through some icing sugar and making sure they all have a bit of sugar around them. That will give them some more resistance and will keep them floating in the batter.
However, while this works almost every time, I have had some instances where it didn’t work as well. I suppose there are more variables at play here, but in general, dusting the fruit (this works for blueberries as well as cranberries) is the solution to keep them spread throughout the cake.
Yes, but add them to the batter straight from the freezer. Do not thaw them first, or they may release too much moisture.
Yes, you can definitely substitute the cranberries for other fruit. Most commonly changed for blueberries, but you can also make this cake with apple slices or pear slices, or most other types of fruit you like.
Be aware that – if you use very wet fruit – the result might be different. If possible I would make this cake with berries (but not strawberries) or apple. Don’t go for peach, strawberries or another kind of wet fruit. That will make the cake too wet and it won’t bake properly.
Expert Tip
If you prefer a sweeter cake, sprinkle a little sugar over the top before baking. The cranberries add a lot of tartness, so this gives you a nice contrast while still keeping the cake fresh and bright.
Some of my favorite cranberry recipes
Cranberry cake
Ingredients
- 250 gr eggs at room temperature, about 5 eggs
- 250 gr sugar
- 250 gr self rising flour
- 250 gr butter melted and cooled down
- 175 gr cranberries
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- icing sugar
Equipment
- cake tin 25 cm (10 inch)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 ˚C/350˚F
- Mix egg, sugar, salt, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whip on high for a few minutes. It should triple in size.
- Fold through the flour and once combined fold in the melted butter. Mix until it is a smooth batter.Quickly roll the cranberries through some icing sugar and then add them to the cake batter. Pour everything into a cake tin lined with baking paper.
- Bake for about 45-60 minutes. Make sure to check if the cake is cooked through by inserting a wooden skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean it is done.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
I don’t understand 250 g of eggs.I don’t bake weighing items. How many eggs? Also the cake looks very long. What kind of a pan did you use? Thanks. I love Christmas without snow!
Ah yes i will add that to the recipe. 250 gram of eggs is roughly 4 large eggs or 5 medium ones. The pan is a cake pan that is smaller and longer than the average but still the same content as a normal sized cake tin.
I feel like you about Christmas and family (family is overrated, in my opinion – especially nowadays)… The best Christmases are the ones spent at home, in peace, with my BF and kitty (free do to as we wish).
A delightful cake!
Cheers,
Rosa
I cannot agree more Rosa! 🙂