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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}
Thanks for this one! I got a tub of cranberries in my CSA box last week and I had no idea what to do with them. Bam! Holiday treat. Gracias. 🙂
Oh, so pretty! I've been eying a cranberry upside down cake for a while but this is so much more simple. And portable… 😉
Yum, this looks delicious.
Looks and sounds delish!
Will be trying this one later in the month.
-Renn
Really, this looks too easy for the look of the cake! Even though I'm a super beginner baker, I think I can manage to make this. I think… sorry to ask such elementary question, but what does "This mixture should form a ribbon" mean? Ribbon? Does it mean stiff? I need to go buy cranberries… I might need to bake this after my vacation but looking forward to it!
Hi Nami, the cake really is easy. The batter does not get stiff, but it does thicken a bit. When you lift the beaters out of the bowl, the batter sort of streams off of them like a ribbon. This would be an excellent cake to make as a beginner baker. Don't worry about the ribbon though. As long as you beat the egg/sugar mixture for at least five minutes it will thicken to exactly what it needs to be. 🙂 Have a wonderful vacation!
YOU JUST PUT THE CRANBERRIES IN THE CAKE, WITHOUT COOKING THEM… RIGHT?? I AM SURE THAT IS THE WAY IT READS!!!,,,, THANK YOU … MARYJO
Yes, that’s correct. They will soften and bake in the oven. Enjoy!
I'm having a party Friday and am going to make this recipe! (I'll try to take a photo.) This is festive, yummy, and will be a nice contrast to all the chocolate baked goodies I have.
Hi Mary,
I just made a big pan of this last night — you're right, it's very easy.
Have you ever baked it in smaller pans? I was wondering about baking it in loaf pans and serving it kind of like pound cake? Also, the smaller cakes would make nice gifts.
Ever tried this recipe with blueberries?
I just baked it with blueberries.
Janeen, I bet it would be great in smaller loaf pans for gifts. It would look so pretty that way! Not sure about the blueberries. They would probably burst and color the cake differently. Plus, there is a LOT of sugar in this to balance the cranberries. If you do try it, I'd love to hear how it worked.
Blueberries in muffins do not burst and color the muffin.
If you lightly toss blueberries in flour or sugar ( depending on recipe type) they will not sink to bottom or color the batter.
Mary,
I served this at my birthday party tonight and three different people asked me for the recipe! It's a hit!
Just made this and it is a keeper. Absolutely delicious, pretty and easy to make. Thank you.
What is AP flour?
AP = all purpose flour
all purpose
Is there a rule of thumb to replace the all purpose flour for us gluten intolerant people?
ITS A 1-1 RATIO WITH AN ADDED 1 TSP OF XANTHAN GUM… I DO DO THE G/F ALL THE TIME!
Can I️ use just gf flour same amount
I'm Celiac and have to use GF flour. So glad someone else has tried this. I will add the Xanthan Gum. Thanks for the info!
if using the GF mix (Ingredients: Rice Flour, Potato Starch, Pea Fiber, Tapioca Starch, Xanthan Gum.) – is it still 1:1? and it already has some xanthan gum in it for binding… so do I have to add additional? super curious b/c I have a friend with Celiac disease and I’d like to make this for her to be able to enjoy on Christmas; and I’ve tried to substitute the flour in another recipe before and it did NOT work…
I know this is an old post, but thanks in advance for an answer.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how your particular blend of flours would translate to this recipe. I’ve never used that combination before, so I can’t answer that. However, I’ve tested it extensively with the blend of gluten free flours listed in the recipe.
Did you use plain flour, instead of self-rising! Thanks in advance! Mary Rowe
Yes, the recipe is for standard all-purpose flour. Beating the eggs (as directed above) creates the leavening for the cake. (This recipe still fascinates me! I love that it actually works!)
I have never made a cake that did not have salt and baking powder! How do you get a soft and tender cake without these two ingredients? I guess I don't understand how beating the eggs as directed can make the cake fluffy!!
Trust me, it does! Just made it! And i s yummy! I beat the eggs and sugar a little under 6 minutes…I was wondering myself…but turned out amazing!
Can you use splenda instead of sugar? I have a few diabetics in my family?
I've never used Splenda myself, but I've heard from others that it works well in a number of dessert recipes. It's worth a shot. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
can this be made with dried cranberries
You could try it with dried cranberries, but they won't contribute the same moisture to the cake that the fresh ones will. It's worth a shot. If you do try it, let me know how it turns out.
You could soak the dried cranberries in water and pop in the microwave then drain. I do that all the time!
If you use dried cranberries maybe try plumping the dried berries with boiling water and then draining them.
I don't like cranberries, can another fruit be substituted?
I haven't tried it myself, but you could probably fold in blueberries right at the end. If you try it, let me know how it works!
This looks like my kind of cake. Love cranberries. I'll have to try this.
do you sift the flour before measuring?
I do not sift the flour.
How do you store your cranberries in the freezer? In the bag it comes in, baggies, plastic containers? I have a recipe for buckwheat pancakes where cranberries would be fantastic.
I toss the bag straight into the freezer when I bring it home from the store. I was told a long time ago that it is designed for storage and I've never had a problem with them.