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Cranberry Christmas Cake

A delightful, moist cake filled with cranberries and flavored with orange and nutmeg, perfect for holiday gatherings.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Keyword: Christmas Cake, Cranberry Cake, Festive Baking, Holiday Dessert
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 250kcal

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
  • 0.5 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 0.25 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 0.5 cups cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Zest from 1 large orange

Fruits and Topping

  • 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 0.25 cups granulated sugar for topping
  • 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preparation

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan and set it aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
  • Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut in the cold, cubed butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest until fully incorporated.
  • Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Stir the batter just until it is moistened; be careful not to overmix.
  • Sprinkle the cranberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and fold them into the batter.
  • Pour the batter into your prepared pan, spreading it evenly.
  • In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top of the batter.

Baking

  • Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the pan before cutting it into squares.

Serving

  • Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and extra orange zest.

Notes

Can use fresh or frozen cranberries; store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Customize by adding nuts or swapping cranberries for another fruit like blueberries.