Description
A delightful Cranberry Orange Cake featuring the perfect balance of tart cranberries and fragrant orange zest, combined into a moist, tender crumb with a subtle sparkling sugar topping for a festive finish. Ideal for dessert or teatime treats.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 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: Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×9 inch baking pan. Line the pan with two sheets of parchment paper with long ends so you can easily lift out the cake later for slicing.
- Make orange sugar: Combine the granulated sugar and orange zest in a food processor, processing until the zest is fully incorporated and the sugar turns a pale orange and moist texture.
- Cream butter and orange sugar: Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, cream together the orange sugar and room temperature unsalted butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add egg and flavorings: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract, followed by the baking powder and salt, scraping the bowl as necessary to incorporate fully.
- Add flour and buttermilk: Lower the mixer speed and gradually blend in half of the all-purpose flour, just until almost incorporated. Then add the buttermilk, followed by the remaining flour. Blend just until the flour is incorporated and stop to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in cranberries: Gently fold in the fresh cranberries, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the batter without crushing them.
- Spread batter and add topping: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle the surface with sparkling sugar for a crunchy, decorative finish.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the cake is risen, golden, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean without wet batter. Check slightly before the end to avoid overbaking, especially if your oven runs hot.
- Cool and serve: Let the cake cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes. If you lined the pan with parchment paper, lift the cake out to cool completely on a wire rack, or slice while still slightly warm. Store leftovers covered with foil at room temperature.
Notes
- Using fresh cranberries provides the best texture and tartness; frozen cranberries can be used but thaw and drain them well to avoid excess moisture.
- Line the baking pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleaner slicing.
- The sparkling sugar topping adds a slight crunch and pretty finish but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter once the flour is added to keep the cake tender and light.
- Check the cake starting at 40 minutes baking time to prevent overbaking, especially in hotter ovens.
- Room temperature butter and egg help create a smooth, creamy batter and better rise.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
