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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}
Made this a couple times and it’s absolutely delicious and such a big hit! Is it possible to add less sugar though? My aunt who is diabetic really wants me to make this for her birthday but asked if I could cut back a little on the sugar. Just wondering if it will effect the leavening with the eggs.
Hi, Andreana. You could probably scale back the sugar, but I’m not sure how that’d affect the baking time/etc. I hope your aunt loves the cake!
Try sub. Half the sugar with monkfruit sweetner or similar sweetener that measures like real sugar
Can I use 1 or 2 loaf pans instead of 9×13?
Hello! One 9×13 pan should be equivalent to two loaf pans. Happy baking!
Should this be stored at room temperature or refrigerated? And how long is it good for?
Hi, Linda. This cake can sit on the counter for a day or two; beyond that, I’d refrigerate it. It should keep for a week or two in the refrigerator.
This looks delicious!
My question is I bought cranberries on sale and froze them in their bag. Can and how do I use my fresh frozen cranberries?
Thank you and enjoy your holidays!
Hi, Mary. You should be able to use the cranberries normally in this recipe. Happy holidays, and happy baking!
Love this cake! Sweet and tart!
Glad to hear it, Lisa.
Can I use a cake mix for this? If so how are the directions different?
Hi, Amy. I haven’t tried using a cake mix to make this recipe before, so I couldn’t say how it would turn out.
I love this cake and it has become a holiday tradition at our house. Has anyone tried simply using almond flour vs the multiple step gluten recipe as listed?
Hi, Lori. While you might be able to make this recipe work with almond flour, it’ll probably require some trial and error. I usually find that GF flour option to be easier.
The reviews sold me and it was lovely! Even my 11yo who is “selective” in his dessert choices (aka loves kid food) devoured it. I was very surprised that I was not heavy bc the dough was soooo solid when I spread it in the pan. It came out perfectly! I even made a smaller version yesterday with monk fruit sweetener for diabetic friends…everyone loves it. Very nice job on the recipe and I especially appreciated the specific directions for preparation.
I’m glad you and you son loved the cake, and that you found the recipe so easy to work with. Happy baking!
Can you substitute almond flour for the gluten free option?
Hi, Saranne. That should work, but I’m not sure exactly how substituting almond flour would affect the cook time/baking temp/etc. I would recommend keeping an eye on the recipe.
I haven’t tried this yet. I just have two questions. Can you use Truvia in place of the sugar? Would you be able to use a cake mix for a quick version? 1
Hi, Terry. I haven’t tried using either of those in this recipe before, so I couldn’t say how the recipe would turn out. I hope you love the cake!
I make this cake EVERY year, even though I pretty much eat it all! This year I’m freezing several bags of cranberries so I don’t have to wait till the holiday season. I may try adding the chocolate chips next time as I person mentioned. I LOVE this topped with ice cream, cool whip or whip cream!!
I’m glad you’ve been loving this cake, Pam! It’s always good to have ingredients prepped in advance.
What happened?! Mine turned out to be brick like texture! Hard and crumbling into chunks when bitten into … I noticed the dough was oh so thick like cookie dough when placing it into the pan – measured everything according to instructions.
In place of sugar I used monk fruit (which I’ve always seen is a equal measurement as sugar ) this is just awfully flour like ,packed down hard bread like cookie ! I can’t explain it lol
Hi, Cheyenne. The type of sugar you’re using can radically change the way a dessert bakes. Monk fruit typically isn’t substituted in a 1:1 ratio, even if it’s diluted with other products to reduce the sweetness. It doesn’t bake in quite the same way either, which is why it’s usually not recommended as a sugar substitute for baking purposes. Sorry to hear that the cranberry cake didn’t turn out very well. I hope your next baking project will be much more successful!
Wanting to make this.
I’m not that experienced of a baker it would like to know if you would recommend any high altitude adjustments
Hi, Dawn. For high altitude, the thing I recommend most is keeping an eye on the oven, since individual results might vary, but I’d also recommend increasing the baking temp by 25-30 degrees and reducing the bake time by about 5 or 6 minutes. This should prevent the cake from losing moisture, especially if you’re in an area with low humidity. Happy baking!
I lobe this recipe and made it last year. Can I make this into mini muffins? If so, what adjustments in baking time do I need to make? Thank you!
Hi, Monica. You could use this batter to make muffins, but I couldn’t say how the baking time/temp might need to be adjusted. Several commenters here have had success with the recipe, though, so as long as you’re keeping an eye on the pan, they should turn out well. Happy baking, and happy holidays!
Made this using King Arthur Made for Measure flour for Gluten Free and it was fantastic. Making it again tomorrow! Thank you.
You’re welcome, Nancy. I’m glad the cake turned out well. Hopefully the second time will be even better; happy baking!
Hello, this cake sounds wonderful and I want to make it. Could I use dried instead of fresh cranberries? I was gifted a large bag of them and I’m trying to find ways to use them. Thanks!
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend using dried cranberries for this recipe.
Will this batter fit in 2 round disposable pans instead of a 9 X 13? And can you cut recipe in half?
Thanks
Hi, Bev. If you’re making a full batch, two 9 inch round pans will use the same amount of batter as a 9×13. If you’re going to halve the recipe, you’ll only want to use one 9 inch round pan. Happy baking!
This looks great! Need to make a dessert for an upcoming family get together, I was wondering if you can sub oil for butter?
Trying to save money.
Thank you!
Hi, Sylvia. I’d recommend using roughly 3/4ths as much oil if you’re going to substitute it for butter. Also keep in mind that the cake may be more moist, so you may want to bake for a minute or two longer to make sure the cake cooks through. I hope everyone loves the dessert; happy baking!
I made this a favorite for anyone I make it for. I also put orange zest and some of the juice into this cake. Just love it
That sounds delicious, Cathy! Adding orange is a fun way to add more variety to the cake. Happy holidays, and happy baking.
Wow!!! This is my new favorite cake!!! I’m not a baker, but I love to cook. I purchased three huge bags of fresh cranberries after Thanksgiving from Costco because they were on sale. I started looking for easy recipes so I could use them up and I came across this wonderful recipe. Not only is it easy, it’s DELICIOUS!!!
I would compare the consistency to a brownie/blondie. They are super moist and chewy. I just made them again this morning using parchment paper as a liner. Excellent idea and easy cleanup. I’m bringing some to my neighbors today and I’m sure they’ll love them too. So happy I found this recipe…it’s a keeper!
I’m glad the cake was such a hit, Betsy! Enjoy.