Description
A bright and festive Cranberry Orange Cake bursting with the flavors of fresh orange zest and tart cranberries. Moist and easy to prepare, this cake is perfect for holiday breakfasts, gifting, or casual snacking.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of one orange, peeled in strips with a vegetable peeler (just the orange part, none of the bitter white pith)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups cranberries
- 2 Tbsp sparkling sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly spray a 9×9 inch baking pan. For easy removal, line the pan with two sheets of parchment paper with long ends to lift out the baked cake.
- Make the Orange Sugar: Combine the granulated sugar and orange zest in a food processor. Process until the zest is fully incorporated and the sugar is moist and pale orange in color.
- Cream Butter and Orange Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream together the orange sugar and unsalted butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add Egg, Vanilla, and Leaveners: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Then add the baking powder and salt, mixing thoroughly while scraping the bowl to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
- Incorporate Flour and Buttermilk: On low mixer speed, mix in half of the all-purpose flour, just until almost blended. Pour in the buttermilk, then add the remaining flour. Mix only until the flour is just incorporated to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in Cranberries: Gently fold the fresh cranberries into the batter, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout without breaking them up.
- Transfer Batter and Add Topping: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the surface evenly with sparkling sugar for a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Bake the Cake: Place the pan in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is risen, golden on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean without wet batter. Begin checking earlier if your oven runs hot to avoid overbaking.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan. If lined with parchment paper, lift the cake out to cool completely or slice it while still slightly warm. Store leftovers covered with foil at room temperature.
Notes
- This cake celebrates bright seasonal flavors with ease and moistness, making it ideal for gifting, casual snacking, or holiday mornings.
- Lining the pan with parchment paper makes it easier to remove and slice the cake without sticking.
- Be careful not to overmix after adding flour to keep the cake tender.
- Check doneness starting at 40 minutes, especially if your oven tends to run hot, to keep the cake moist.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/12 of the cake)
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 213 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg
