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
{originally posted 12/2/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 11/9/20}
Bronte says
This cake was phenomenal. My wife had an extra bag of cranberries after making sauce with the others. I said I would find a good dessert recipe to use them in and boy did I ever. I like cranberry juice in general but was a little concerned about only cranberries in the cake. Well fret not because the tartness adds a nice kick and for what little work you do the result is just mindblowing. Will make this cake now every year during the holidays for sure
Sarah says
All I have is a can of whole cranberry sauce. Will that make it awful? I feel like something cranberry and this looks delicious!
Jenny says
I made these bars – they were very good. I did sprinkle some semi-sweet chocolate chips over the. top before baking – not a ton. This cut the tartness a little. I will make again definitely.
Sherry says
Absolutely amazing! I made a half recipe-9 x 9 pan because I only had 1 cup of cranberries.
It was so delicious. Two of us devoured it in a couple of days!
mom whiteside says
Made this for Christmas 2017 and it was a big hit. Got a hankering for it and are wondering will this turn out in a bundt pan?
mom whiteside says
sorry read further and see most say doesn’t work in bundt pan.
Yasmine M Dar says
This was so yummy! My family all loved it, but asked me to make it without the cranberries. Lol
I got nervous with no leavening agent so I added 1t baking powder. Will definitely make it again!
DSWHITE says
I’m trying this recipe right now with blueberries instead of cranberries. I think lemon zest would be a nice addition, but I’m not sure if I should add it before baking or after. Any thoughts?
Mary says
I’d add the zest to the batter before baking.
Christine Bourolias says
I’ve made it with cranberries and it was a huge winner. Thank you, Mary for the recipe. I’m making it today with blueberries and will add the lemon zest as you suggest. Thank you again. Great recipe.
Mary says
I’m thrilled that you like the cake, Christine. Thanks for taking the time to let us know!
Rick Ziolkowski-Pemberton says
This is a wonderful recipe. I’ve made it about 10n5imes this christmas season and getting ready to make another tonight. When cranberries are not available then I use blueberries and orange zest. This is just as wonderful as the cranberry cake. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Paulette says
This is so so good and so easy. I brought to a Christmas dinner and it was a smash. Thank you.
Kathie Guisler says
Can I substitute granny Smith apples in place of cranberries?
Mary says
I have no idea how that might work. It’s worth a try though. If you do try it, please let us know how it turns out.
Dotti says
Made this for a small office gathering, not at all Christmas related. It was a big hit. Take care when combining the eggs and sugar. If you are like me you’ ll Be tempted to stop before they are light enough. Follow the instructions and wait until they almost double in size. Otherwise this is a quick coffee or tea cake recipe with good results. My pan was a bit smaller than suggested. I watched the oven closely towards the 40 minute mark and it was done in 50 minutes.
Corrine Parrott says
Yummies
?
Carolyn says
Fantastic cake. Great recipe. Everyone in my family loves it. I even carried a package of cranberries to Ghana, Africa and baked another one. No cranberries available here so what a treat we had. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Sarah says
I am so happy you took this to Africa! I had the opportunity to visit Ghana when my daughter was in the Peace Corp in Togo. What a special treat you took with you!!
LC says
Could you use dried cranberries ?
LC says
Can dried cranberries be used?
Mary says
Dried cranberries will not work the same way.
Bluebird says
Tried this recipe yesterday. Followed
instructions but came out more like a cross between a hard cookie. Crust is dense without leveling. Almost like biscotti but not as dry. Perhaps I baked it too long.
Crust is very sweet with two cups of sugar. Prefer a carmelized orange sauce.
May try altering recipe to my preferences.
My dough did not double in size despite letting my mixmaster rip for 7 minutes.. Plan to add leveling next time!
Althea says
I had the same problem both times I made it, great flavor but dense, I never could get the butter to double in size with the eggs, pondered quite a while why? I gave it time too, just never did, anyone else have the same problem? I liked the flavor tons though!
Mary Younkin says
It is a more dense cake, definitely not light and fluffy, Althea. If you beat the eggs for the amount of time listed, it should be good at that point. When you lift the beaters, it forms kind of a ribbon with the batter. I hope that helps!
Bluebird says
Another thought: from Bluebird:
Did not sift the flour. Is this why my recipe
turned out so dense??
Mary says
Hi, Bluebird. I don’t typically sift the flour for this recipe. 7 minutes of beating should have been plenty of time to result in eggs that would leaven the cake. Without being in your kitchen with you, I can’t really guess what went wrong.
Chris says
This will definitely be in my favorites for sweets to bake! It was easy to put together and it is delicious. I certainly hope there’s something left for book club tomorrow. I can’t figure out how to attach a picture unfortunately. Thanks for the goodness!
Mary says
I’m thrilled you are enjoying the cake, Chris!
Maude Hunter says
This cake is the bomb. I love it more than any other cake I’ve eaten. I can’t believe how easy it is to make. I’m always having problems with what dessert take to a gathering. Not anymore! I’ve not found anyone that doesn’t love it. Thank you so much for sharing. Not so much of a thanks for the weight I’ve gained eating this cake. Lol
Mary says
I love this comment! I’m so happy that you enjoy the cake so much.