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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Beautiful and so simple. Thanks for sharing.
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
What a beautiful cake. Can't wait to make this. I love almond cakes, and am always looking for new recipes to try.
Such a perfect looking dessert for the holidays. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
This looks really good…. think I might add white chocolate chips to it
This sounds yummy, think I might add white chocolate chips to it for a added sweetness…
I love cranberries and almonds! Your recipe sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing.
How fun! I love this almond twist on the recipe, Donna. It sounds delicious.
all purpose flour and no salt or baking powder??
That is correct the eggs work at the leavening, make sure to beat them for the full time. Enjoy!
Love this cake! Have made this a Christmas breakfast tradition for 3 years. I was wondering could it be made ahead of time and frozen?
im making this today. the cake itself is sweet enough you dont need icing or frosting?
im making this cake today but its sweet enough alone to not use icing or anything???
The cake is perfectly sweet without any icing. Happy Thanksgiving and let us know how it goes.
I loved this cake. The name itself sounds so interesting and yummy. And also it seems bit easy to prepare. Thank you for the share,
Eggs as a leavening…. I have to try
Eggs as a leavening? Sounds great! Thx
I made this yesterday for dinner guests…it was wonderful, everybody loved it. I ate it for breakfast this morning, it is great with coffee. Thanks for sharing.
Not only beautiful, but full of deliciousness with the cranberries and almonds! Pinning!
Do you use the uncooked cranberries that come in the bag? Thanks!
Yes, that is correct. Enjoy and let us know how it goes.
This is one of my favorite of Mary's recipes, and I think the addition of almond is inspired Donna!
Has anyone thought of adding almond paste?
think it may become too sticky.
This recipe alone is worth the price of subscription! What? You say subscribing was free? Its still one of the most popular things I've made. My cranberries came in a 2lb bag, so doing the math- lets see, 32oz, minus 4 cups, add ounces based on distance from earth's rotational axis, stop for coffee… My maths suck, but I ended up using 4 cups of cranberries, which may or may not be a LOT. But I also added a dash on cinnamon and it comes out perfect every time.
Thank you, Slow Roasted Italian, I think I love you.
Can craisins be substutied for cranberries?? If so, how much?? Thanks for a great web site.
I must say I was a little skeptical of making this cake without any soda, baking soda or salt. It turned out very good. Easy recipe and everyone enjoyed it.
I could not find Cranberries, so I used Frozen Tart Cherries. AMAZING. I will try it again with the Cranberries. We loved this cake.
This cake is amazing! Sweet with just the right amount of tartness
I come from a family of bakers, so I have more than a few excellent recipes. But this cake comes in near the top. It's a fantastic combination of favors with a very nice texture. It's definitely a keeper!
What size pan do I use? Would a bunt pan work?
I was wondering about a Bundt pan also. May gavebto adjust baking time, but I think I will try it. Let us know ifvyouvtried it !
I don't think it would be very tall unless you made double batch.