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This Cranberry Christmas Cake is one of those recipes that is an instant favorite every single time someone new tastes it.
Tart cranberries, sweet buttery cake, and a fantastic texture all combined to basically beg me to eat another piece.
About ten years ago, my friend Valerie made this cake to share with some friends. The moment I tasted it, I asked her if she would share the recipe.
This is an absolutely perfect cake that takes very little effort to make. No icing, no topping, nothing else is necessary at all. It was reminiscent to me of a coffee cake in texture but much lighter than the typical heavy version.
This might be the only cake I’ve ever tasted that basically screams holidays to me. It is pure heaven to eat.
I made nine different desserts for a Thanksgiving event the first year I made this cake and this was my absolute favorite, by far. That hasn’t changed a bit over the subsequent years since we first tried this cake.
While I have no problem sending almost all other leftover sweets home with friends and family, I always save a few small pieces of this once just for myself.
This Cranberry Christmas Cake is one of my all-time favorite treats to enjoy with Cafe con Leche in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
I’ve learned to stock up on cranberries each year. That way I will always have them in my freezer and we’ll be able to enjoy this cake throughout the year.
You’ll be wishing you had a few bags stashed in the freezer as well, just as soon as you take the first bite of this Cranberry Christmas Cake!
If my cranberry stash runs out frozen mixed berries work beautifully to make this sweet and buttery treat.
BEFORE YOU BAKE THIS CAKE – please read through the frequently asked questions. If you do have a question, please read through all of these FAQs. The odds are good that your question has been answered many times already.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, you will use fresh, raw cranberries for this recipe. They will soften and burst as the cake bakes. There is a good bit of sugar in this recipe and it balances the tartness of the cranberries.
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries. I buy multiple bags of fresh cranberries every year when they start appearing in the stores. Just toss them straight into the freezer to have them on hand through the year. I use frozen cranberries almost every time I make this cake.
However, the dough will “freeze” up a bit and become even thicker and it will be somewhat more difficult to stir in the cranberries. I find it easiest to let the frozen berries thaw on the counter for a little while as I’m beginning to prepare the cake.
This is a very thick batter that will resemble cookie dough when it has finished mixing. You will need to press it into the pan to spread it out.
There is no baking soda or baking powder needed in this recipe. The extended beating time for the eggs provides the necessary leavening for the cake.
You need to beat the eggs until the batter forms a “ribbon” off of the beaters. Do not shorten or skip the beating process.
If you read through the comments, you’ll see countless variations that I’ve made and other readers have made for this recipe. Blueberries swap nicely for the cranberries. Adding nuts to the recipe works too.
The addition of orange zest, orange extract, or almond extract works nicely as well. The gluten-free substitution is listed in the recipe notes.
The cake can be made in a variety of different cake pans. It can also be made into cupcakes and mini loaves. Watch the baking time and adjust as needed.
For holiday gifting, I bake this cake in these 9-inch disposable cake pans. The pans come with a domed lid and make for a really nice gift at a terrifically inexpensive price. I use those same pans for pretty much all of my food gifts.
A doubled recipe of this cake will just barely fit in my stand mixer (see photo above) and will fill (4) of these cake pans perfectly.
I line the disposable pans with parchment squares and it makes it very easy for the recipient to lift the cake out, slice, and serve. The baking time for (4) 9-inch pans in my oven at the same time is 60-65 minutes.
One of the most frequently asked questions is whether you can bake this in a bundt pan. I do not personally recommend that. Yes, many people in the comments have said that it works, and I’ve tested it in a bundt twice myself, however, it isn’t the same cake that way.
(Once it fell apart on me and another time it worked fine.) If you do decide you must use a bundt pan, grease the pan HEAVILY with butter and then flour the pan generously.
The biggest downside to baking this cake in a bundt pan is that you will miss out on the best part, that lovely crust that forms on the top of the cake.
There is no glaze on this cake. The crust forms as the cake bakes and winds up looking as pictured in the photos.
I store this cake at room temperature, either uncovered or very loosely covered.
This is a moist cake and the crust will soften a great deal if it is stored airtight. It will still be tasty, but it won’t be the same the next day if it’s kept airtight.
If you freeze this cake, thaw it uncovered at room temperature if possible.
Cranberry Recipes
For more ways to use fresh cranberries, check out these Cranberry Brownies. I think they’re my favorite brownies ever!
Love this cake already, but wish it were even easier to stash in the freezer? Cranberry Christmas Cookies are just what you’re looking for and you’re going to love them every bit as much as this cake.
Cranberry Pepper Jam is a year-round favorite. I make as much as possible each time I can get my hands on cranberries. On a fancy cheeseboard or just on a cracker, this jam rocks.
“The sweet heat that you can not stop eating” is the best way to describe this creamy cranberry jalapeno dip. Double it for a crowd so you don’t run out!
Slightly chewy with a sweetly tart combination, cranberry oatmeal bars are full of cranberries and apples topped with brown sugar and oatmeal crumbs or try the same combination as a cranberry apple crisp.
Nantucket Christmas Cranberry Pie and this Cranberry Apple Tart are both great new ways to make the most of the available cranberries during the holiday season.
Cranberry Pistachio Snack Mix by Foodie with Family and these Cranberry Rolls with Orange Icing by The Noshery are holiday favorites too.
Cranberry Ginger Sugar Cookies by 365 Days of Baking and Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread by Love from the Oven are also on my list to try soon.
I recommend stocking up on plenty of cranberries so that you can enjoy these recipes all year long.
Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step.
- The sugar and egg mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined.
- Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.
- Spread in a buttered 9×13 pan. (This pan is my favorite!)
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (I baked mine for 43 minutes.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices.
- I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1″ x 2″ so that they could be easily eaten at a party.
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour * see note below for gluten-free alternative
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.
- Spread in a buttered 9×13 pan. (This pan is my favorite!) Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (I baked mine for 43 minutes.)
- Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1"x2", so that they could be easily eaten at a party. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally posted 12/2/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/9/20}
Will this work as a layer cake with frosting?
Hi, Rick. I wouldn’t use this as the base for a layer cake. I do have layer cake recipes on the site, though, if you’re looking for that option.
It just came out of the oven, but did not rise much; but It looks like the picture. Is this normal? It was in the oven about 47 minutes. Hope it tastes good!!!
This cake doesn’t rise very much. If it looks like the photos, you’re good to go, Jabeve.
I have been making your delicious cake for years and we love it! I would like to try and add some orange flavor to the recipe. Would you just use zest or orange juice as well? If so, how much of each?
I’ve never tried adding juice, but adding zest works beautifully, Lisa. If you want a strong orange flavor, you can add up to a tablespoon.
Can I ask do you use salted or unsalted butter?
I use salted butter in all of my recipes, unless otherwise stated. Happy baking!
It’s just me and my husband could I freeze leftovers for later?
This cake freezes well, Robin.
Leftovers?? What are leftovers??!! LOL! Just teasing! I drop a slice or two into neighbors mailbox(es)(for their morning coffee) and know they know exactly who it is from.
I love that!
I made this cake with measure 4 measure gluten free flour and dairy free butter and the crust came out meringue like, very crunchy. What could I do to fix this?
The crust should be fairly crisp, not necessarily meringue like though. I’ve never seen that happen and those substitutions wouldn’t have caused it. Did the batter look the same as in the video when you pressed it into the pan before baking?
I thought so. I had the ribbon batter and it was nice and thick when I put it in the pan. I am wondering if I should wait like 15 minutes before baking. I read something about that when baking with gluten free flour. I am making this for a group of ladies in the next week.
Any chance you have a photo of it that you could email me? mary @ barefeetinthekitchen . com Have you made this with the traditional ingredients before (as a comparison) ? I’m curious, as I’ve made this allergy free so many times and it sounds like it should’ve been fine for you. How did it taste? It’s a pretty dense, not fluffy at all, cake and the crust is unique and kind of crackling (almost like brownies).
Jill, this exact same thing happened to me today! A very meringue like crust, and everything underneath took forever to bake! We used a 1 to 1 gf flour as well as a dairy free butter. Did you soften or melt your butter at all before putting it in? We wondered if that made any difference, cause we softened ours but it melted a lot more than we anticipated so it was more like melted butter than softened… do we think that mattered..?
(Also, I did make this just a few days ago, with regular flour and butter, and it was great. No issues)
I’m guessing it’s the GF flour blend causing the issues. GF flours are not created equal and I only make this with the GF substitutions as written in the recipe card. I can appreciate your frustration though!
Interesting… we’ve always used this gf blend in every other baked good recipe and it’s never let us down. Can I ask what dairy free butter you’ve used in the past, if you’ve ever made this dairy free?
I love this cake. I am making it this year for a cookie exchange. One thing that I added was a drizzle of Cream cheese frosting. I’ve gotten rave reviews!
I’m glad the cake’s been such a hit in the past. I hope everyone at the cookie exchange loves the recipe!
This cake is my all time favorite cake, dessert, EVERYTHING!! I now keep bags and BAGS of cranberries portioned specifically for THIS CAKE in our freezer! I learned my lesson last year when I could not make it until they were available recently in the grocery stores here in GA. NEVER again will I be without them in the freezer so I can make this cake! THANK YOU! I have friends now who love it also.
I love this so much, Debbie. I have a full shelf of my freezer for my stash of cranberries. Anyone else might think that’s ridiculous, but anyone who has made this cake understands.
Can you bake this cake in a Bundt pan? If so how long?
Hi, Renee. I do not recommend baking this cake in a bundt pan.
So easy to make and so delicious!
Glad to hear it, Pam!
Hi Mary, my friend made this and brought me a piece last year. It was delicious and I am planning on using this recipe this Christmas. Could I bake it in a Bundt pan? Thank you
Hi, Jill. I would not recommend baking this recipe in a bundy pan. I’m glad to hear that you loved the cake!
I love this cake for the holidays! It’s so pretty and always a hit! What is the best way to store it?
Hi, Bobbi. For a day or two, the cake should be fine covered on the counter; for longer than that, I’d refrigerate the pan.
This recipe looks so yummy! Have you tried adding white chocolate chips? If so, does it make the recipe too sweet? If so, how much sugar would you take out? I love cranberry and white chocolate together. Thank you.
Hi, Lynn! I have not tried adding white chocolate chips to this recipe. If you decide to make the recipe that way, please let me know how it turns out! Happy baking.
I’m going to try to make this cake for my in-laws this weekend. Thoughts on serving with some vanilla ice cream or cool whip…? They often have ice cream with their cake.
Hi, Katy. This cake is delicious with vanilla ice cream. I’m sure it would be tasty with cool whip, too. Happy baking!
I’m sorry if this has been asked and answered before. I always use the 9×13 pan, but I want to bake them in mini loaves. How many pans will this receipt fill and how long do I need to cook them.
Thank you
Hi, Lisa. It depends on the dimensions of your loaf pans, but you should be able to fill two to three pans. As for baking time, it’ll be reduced by a few minutes; I’d recommend keeping an eye on the pans periodically while baking.
I absolutely love this cake and make it every year, but was wondering if it could be made with Almond flour?
Hi, Corey. Almond flour tends to be much heavier/more gritty than AP or brown rice flour; while it could work as a substitute in this cake recipe, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you have to. If you do substitute almond flour, be sure to check the consistency of the batter. Don’t add more liquids if it looks too thick; that will actually result in a more dense cake. Happy baking!
Can I use cranberry sauce
I would not recommend using cranberry sauce, Sharon. The consistency will be very different.
A Wonderful little dessert. First made it 3 years ago when looking for something different. Now it’s a holiday staple. I love it, family loves it…what’s not to love.
It’s a holiday staple for us as well, Terry. Enjoy!
I may have put self rising instead of all purpose flour. Will there be a huge difference?
It should be fine, Shay. It may rise more and affect the texture a bit, but it should still be tasty.
Love this , found cranberries on sale .50 I bought 20 bags ! Will be making mini loafs for Christmas.
20 bags! That is my kind of cranberry stockpile, Sheila!