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This cranberry Christmas cake recipe is all about merry and bright. ✨
Looking for a festive cake to make this holiday season?
If you’re in the mood for an easy-to-bake holiday-themed dessert to share with your loved ones, check out this unique cranberry Christmas cake recipe. This has been a favorite of the Hip2Save team for years and we hope you love it as much as we do. If you have any fresh cranberries left over from the holidays, this is a great way to use them.
The result is a sweet and tart cranberry orange holiday cake. It can be cut into bars and served as a brunch snack or special dessert. The red and white colors are beautiful, and the texture is similar to quick bread. Plus, this is sweet, but not overly sweet like a Christmas cake.
Do you like this wooden wreath board pictured above?
Hooray for affordable snacks that are easy to bake!
This cranberry Christmas cake is very easy and suitable for people who don’t bake often or want to change from traditional cakes. With just 6 simple main ingredients, it can be made in no time using simple and affordable ingredients.
Drizzle a simple orange glaze on top to take this sweet and sour treat to the next level.
cranberry christmas cake
Yield: 16 servings
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
Sweet and sour vanilla cake topped with a tangy orange glaze, perfect for a holiday dessert.
For cake:
For glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons orange juice 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 pan.
2
In a mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat eggs and granulated sugar until mixture is fluffy and doubled in size, about 5 minutes.
3
Add the butter and vanilla and mix for a few more minutes. Stir in flour mixture and add cranberries.
4
Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread it out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 40-43 minutes. If you insert a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean, it’s cooked all the way through. Let cool.
5
For glazes:
Whisk the powdered sugar, orange juice, and orange zest until smooth. Drizzle it over the cake and enjoy. Hmm! You now have 16 2-inch squares.
Brought to you by Hip2Save.
Tips for baking the best cranberry Christmas cake:
This recipe uses fresh cranberries, but frozen cranberries will work just as well. Let it thaw on the counter first so it’s easier to mix into the batter. If you’re not a fan of cranberries, blueberries would be a delicious alternative. Orange zest and juice are optional, but I love the flavor they add to this cranberry holiday cake. I had mandarin oranges, so I used that in place of the oranges, which also worked well. It’s also delicious if you add white chocolate chips. Using white chocolate and swapping the glaze for cream cheese frosting creates a cake similar to Starbucks’ Cranberry Bliss Bars. Hmm.
My family loves this cranberry Christmas cake.
I think the texture is similar to a muffin or coffee cake, but it’s really delicious when eaten with coffee. The glaze adds a wonderful orange flavor. I like to cut it into squares and serve it on a wooden tray with fresh rosemary and some extra cranberries to make the presentation festive.
Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Check out what our Hip2Save teammates are saying about this recipe:
“This cake is the ultimate holiday treat! It tastes like Christmas and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, for breakfast or dessert. It has become one of my family’s favorite Christmas cakes to make every year!” – Bryn
“I love this recipe! It’s so easy – it takes minutes to make and I love the combination of the tartness of the cranberries and the rich buttery cake – it’s always so satisfying when I make it!” – Melinda
Need some last minute decorating ideas? Pick up some extra oranges for pomander balls!
About the author:
Lina holds a BA from Northern Arizona University and has 11 years of blogging and photography experience, with work featured on Today.com, Martha Stewart, Country Living, Fox News, Buzzfeed, and HGTV .
