Cranberry Cake for Christmas + Video
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This Cranberry Cake has only a handful of ingredients and comes together in a snap! A moist butter cake bursting with flavor is speckled with tart, sweet cranberries. It is truly the most perfect holiday cake. This simple cranberry Christmas cake will be on your dessert table again and again!
Cranberry Cake
After seeing this cranberry cake on my friend Mary‘s blog and Taste of Home, I had finally had enough. I had to try it!
Cranberry and almond flavors are bursting out of this moist, simple buttery cake and will whisk you away to a winter wonderland.
As I took my first bite I knew this was THE cake of the season — perfectly flavored and a crowd-pleaser.
Even my picky family loves everything about this Christmas cranberry cake. My nieces literally picked the pan clean!
Recipe Video
To see us make this cranberry Christmas cake recipe from start to finish, watch the video in this post!
Need a handheld treat instead? You’ll love these cranberry shortbread cookies!
And you can never go wrong with sweet and tangy Cranberry Bliss Bars just like Starbucks.
There are plenty of non-dessert options for these plump berries too, like my Sourdough Sausage Stuffing or Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal.
That covers breakfast, dinner, and dessert!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour will do it, though you should be able to use a 1:1 gluten-free blend if needed.
- Sugar – Granulated is preferred here, as brown sugar would add too much moisture to the batter.
- Butter and Eggs – Bring these to room temperature to ensure a well-combined, smooth batter for your cranberry Christmas cake.
- Cranberries – The star of the show! Be sure to give them a quick rinse and pat dry.
Then, pick them over and remove any discolored or overly soft berries along with stems and sediment. - Sliced Almonds – Add a lovely crunch and perfectly complement the other flavors in this cranberry Christmas cake recipe.
Tips for Making Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Be patient when creaming the sugar and eggs.
The eggs act as the leavener in this cranberry Christmas cake since there isn’t any baking powder or baking soda.
You’ll need to beat these with an electric mixer for 5 whole minutes, until the mixture thickens and increases by almost half. If you stop too soon, the cake will fall flat.
- Handle cranberries carefully.
Fold them into the batter by hand so they don’t get crushed or broken by the mixer.
If you’ll be using frozen, thawed berries, toss them in a little bit of flour first. This will prevent the color from bleeding into the cake and also help prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom.
- Keep the almond topping browned, not burnt.
If the almonds start getting too browned too quickly, you can tent a piece of aluminum over the pan for the remaining cooking time.
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Electric Hand Mixer – I’ve had this one in my kitchen forever, and it still works beautifully.
- 9×13 Baking Dish – This set is one of my favorites! It comes with a lid for easy storage and is great for casseroles too.
Storing Leftover Christmas Cranberry Cake
For the best texture, store this cranberry cake at room temperature loosely covered. It will keep for up to 5 days.
You can use an airtight container if you’d like, but it will cause the crust to soften quite a bit. If stored in the refrigerator, cranberry Christmas cake is likely to dry out.
Cranberry Cake Recipe FAQ
Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the very center of the cake, avoiding any cranberries if possible.
When it comes out clean, your Christmas cranberry cake is done! If you see a smear of wet batter, it needs a few more minutes in the oven.
Yes! In fact, I highly recommend grabbing a few extra bags of fresh cranberries when they appear in stores for this reason. Simply toss the bags in the freezer so you always have some on hand.
You’ll need to thaw frozen cranberries before using them in this recipe. Otherwise, it will cause the batter to become extra thick and will affect the total baking time.
The thicker the batter, the better! This helps prop up the berries and slow the rate of sinking as the cake bakes.
It’s also important to gently fold the berries into the batter so they are evenly distributed throughout.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Cranberry Cake for Christmas + Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 12 ounce bag fresh cranberries, or frozen and thawed
- 1 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs for 5 minutes with an electric mixer on medium. The volume of the mixture will increase by almost half and will be thickened. Do not skip this step. The eggs will work as the leavening the cake needs to rise.
- Add butter and extracts and beat for 2 more minutes. Slowly add flour and beat until combined. Fold in cranberries.
- Using a spatula, pour and smooth into prepared pan. Sprinkle almonds over top.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published November 2013, updated and republished November 2023
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I am thinking about adding a powder sugar glaze to the cake. Do you think it would be ok?
made this last night. mine looks just like your picture and is delicious! (i did double my batch, and doubled the almond extract.)
What do you mean…double batch of what. ..I want to make this IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.
made enough for 2 cakes in one pan. or 2 pans.
I like this cake.
So cute ,delicious
Thanks for sharing with us
What size pan?? 9×13?
yup, 9×13. Says so in instructions. Made for a church dinner today. Yum 🙂
"Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×13 baking pan. Set aside."
Have you tried making the cranberry cake in a bundt pan? I am wondering if there's enough batter in the recipe.
Is it possible to bake and then freeze for about a week?
Has anyone made this cake ahead of time, and then frozen it for later?
I made this sans the almonds this christmas and I think it would freeze fine
I made the cake, and then froze some of the leftover pieces for a later time. I recently took a small package out of the freezer, and they were just as tasty as when I first baked it.
Surely you don't use 4 CUPS of butter? 8 sticks??
I made this cake and accidentally creamed the sugar, butter and eggs altogether for five minutes, realized I did it wrong after adding the cranberries and baked it anyway. Since I haven't made it the correct way, I do not know what the original texture should be like. But it was the moistest, most delicious cake I've eaten.the cranberries were perfectly tart but not overpowering as i worried they'd be, tasted fabulous with the almond and sweetness of the cake, and it was moist for days!! Total crowd pleaser! I'll make it correctly just to see if there is a difference, but I'd be hard pressed to not want to repeat my mistake since the end result was fabulous!
I made this cake and accidentally creamed the sugar, butter and eggs altogether for five minutes, realized I did it wrong after adding the cranberries and baked it anyway. Since I haven't made it the correct way, I do not know what the original texture should be like. But it was the moistest, most delicious cake I've eaten.the cranberries were perfectly tart but not overpowering as i worried they'd be, tasted fabulous with the almond and sweetness of the cake, and it was moist for days!! Total crowd pleaser! I'll make it correctly just to see if there is a difference, but I'd be hard pressed to not want to repeat my mistake since the end result was fabulous!
Ok, so I made this cake on Christmas Day this year and didn't read the instructions. I got into baking robot mode adding the butter and sugar and started my mixer – OOPS! I didn't want to waste it, so I kept on adding the ingredients PLUS 1 tsp of baking powder. Even though I "messed up" it turned out AMAZING! So don't fret if you accidently mix the sugar with the butter. Baking powder worked just fine. Though, I will be making this the correct way, as we all really enjoyed this cake.
I made this cake to be included on my Christmas cookie platter. It is extraordinarily delicious. What a flavor, I could have eaten the whole cake by myself.
We are so happy you enjoyed it!!!
I made this cake and everybody loved it. The sweetens of the sugar and the tartness of the cranberries, it was amazing. I bought extra cranberries and frozen, so I can make it during the year.
We are so happy you enjoyed it!!
I will have this on Christmas this year!
That's great, Amalia!!! Enjoy and let us know how it goes!
If someone has a nut allergy, can this be made without the almonds and almond extract?
Hi, I'm from Australia and would love to make this, my problem is we dont have frozen or fresh cranberries here. I'm wondering if I could use dried and soak them in water to plump them up. Any suggestions welcome.
I made this cake this morning to use up frozen cranberries I had in my freezer. It is delicious. My family is all enjoying it, and they are not all huge cranberry fans. I would highly recommend this cake now and during the holidays. This will definitely become a new holiday treat tradition for my family!!
My grandmother absolutely loved this cake! She loves cranberry! This was such an easy recipe to make too!
Has anyone tried making this gluten free? I have made this before using regular flour and it was fantastic, but I would like to make it so gluten free friends could enjoy.
We don’t have fresh or frozen cranberries in Norway, but I can get them dried. Has anyone tried substituting with dried cranberries? Do I need to soak them in advance? Maybe reduce the sugar amount in the batter as the dried cranberries are not as tart as the fresh ones? Any help is much appreciated!
I would think reconstituting the dried cranberries in warm water letting it sit to plump and then drain would be perfectly fine just make sure you douse The Cranberries with a little bit of flour so they’re not too wet. I have done this before in other recipes and I think it’s fine. not as tart though.. perhaps soak in warmed lemon juice might give it some tartness. just a thought.
my family loves this recipe!
This is a favorite around our house! We have it anytime I can get cranberries! It’s very easy to make! I also make it with dairy free butter.
Can you use slivered almonds in place of sliced almonds
Hi Cindy!
I don’t see why not! Tell us how it comes out when you do!
TSRI Team Member,
Devlyn