Cranberry Christmas Cake
Published
Published
This easy Cranberry Christmas Cake is a tender and moist snack cake with a crackled cinnamon-sugar topping and cranberries throughout.ย It’s perfect for Christmas morning with a cup of tea or coffee, but the ability to use fresh or frozen fruit makes it a great year round treat, too.
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I may preach all things pie, but I do love cake. Especially a cake with speckled fruit and a cinnamon-sugar topping, like this Cranberry Christmas Cake!
My favorite kind of cake is usually from a regular pan, single layer, no frosting (whaaaat? I know. Just HOLD ON), but with a sweet crispy top, and that has a few goodies distributed throughout. So, it only makes sense why this coffee cake recipe is a true love in my house. It’s a pretty simple one with common ingredients, a tender crumb, amazing sweet and tart flavor from cranberries, and a flaky cinnamon-sugar top crust. Every forkful is wonderful and it’s so pretty – perfect for Christmas morning.
Helpful Tips & Variations
- Measure the flour correctly. Use the spoon and level technique to measure the flour, don’t just scoop it. This helps prevent excess flour and a dry crumbly cake.
- Buttermilk. I know a lot of people don’t keep buttermilk on hand, but I highly recommend buying some for this cake. It really does make a difference in the texture and flavor. However, it can be replaced with half-n-half (equal parts heavy cream and whole milk) if absolutely necessary.
- Fresh vs. Frozen Cranberries. One of the things I love so much about this cake is that fresh or frozen cranberries both work, so it’s a wonderful dessert year round.
- Cinnamon-Sugar Topping. This cranberry coffee cake doesn’t have any frosting or icing, so don’t skip the cinnamon-sugar topping. It forms a lovely sweet crackled crust as it bakes that’s the best finishing touch.
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE BATTER
- 2 cups + 2 tablespoonsย all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, divided
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold unsaltedย butter, cut into tiny cubes
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- zest from one large orange
- 2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the 2 cups of flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt.
- Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest until incorporated.
- Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.
- Sprinkle cranberries with the 2 tablespoons remaining flour and fold into the batter (this will help them from completely falling to the bottom.)
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Make the topping by combining the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over batter.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
- Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How To Make Cranberry Christmas Cake Step By Step
- Gather your ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together 2 cups of flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut in 1/2 cup cold tiny cubes of unsalted butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup buttermilk, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and zest from one large orange.
- Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture; using a fork, stir just until moistened.
- Sprinkle 2 cups cranberries with the 2 tablespoons flour (this will help them from completely falling to the bottom of the cake.)
- Fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and spread out evenly.
- Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over batter.
- Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!
Proper Storage
This freshly baked coffee cake will last about 1-2 days at normal room temperature, away from heat and moisture. Anything longer, it will need to be refrigerated (for up to 5 days.) Either way, be sure to cover it tightly with foil or plastic wrap so it doesnโt dry out. You an also freeze it for up to 2 months.
More Cranberry Recipes:
- Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
- Cranberry Bliss Bars
- Apple Cranberry Crisp
- Cranberry Fluff
- Cranberry Hand Pies
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe โ be sure to give it a review below! Also donโt forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
My Cranberry Christmas Cake recipe was originally published 11/2/19. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 11/29/25.
made this and it is great-I only put 1 teaspoon Orange Zest in and wondered if I should of used more?
I made this with leftover homemade cranberry sauce from thanksgiving. Dotted the cranberry on top and โmarbledโ it into the batter. Itโs delicious!
Next time I will work the butter into the dry ingredients better, but it still turned out great! Definately a keeper!
Simply wonderful! Very easy to make. As per the author, I agree – don’t skip the sugar-cinnamon topping! We loved this cake.
Best I have ever made. I pulsed the chilled butter with the flour mixture which finally dispersed the butter. Also,added some,blueberries I had on hand. The crumb,on this,was amazingly moist and tender. Shared with neighbors,who agreed it was delish. Have a 1/2 recipe in the oven now.