This simple cranberry orange cake is very moist and may remind you of a toffee cake. It's loaded with fresh cranberries, an apple for extra moisture, and lots of orange zest. It's perfect for the holidays!
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OMG you guys. This Cranberry Christmas Snacking Cake is the easiest, tastiest cake I've made since the Peach Cake I make every summer.
And it's exactly the kind of cake I love most to make (and eat). A simple cake loaded with seasonal fruit.
This cranberry Christmas cake (because this is a perfect treat at Christmas!) can be used as a breakfast treat (think coffee cake), an afternoon snacking cake, or a simple dessert with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel.
If you're feeling overwhelmed by holiday desserts this year, I recommend checking out this post on how to master holiday desserts.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
For all the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Cranberries
- Apple
- Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Orange zest
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
- 9" pie plate or 8" square baking pan
- Wooden spoon
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this cranberry snacking cake are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Arrange the fruit. Place the cranberries and apples in a cake pan or pie plate. Toss with sugar.
Step 2
Batter. Make the batter and spread it over the fruit. The batter will be thick.
Step 3
Bake. Bake and finish with confectioners sugar, if desired.
👩🍳 Preparation Tips
There's no milk or cream in this cake, so the texture bakes a little denser. But it's plenty moist from the butter and an apple. I consider this dessert to be combination of cake and tart.
I just whip up the batter, spread the cranberries across a pie plate, and pour the batter over them. The batter nestles around the fruit, thanks to a copious amount of butter, and cooks up like a cake.
Make it in a tart/pie pan. It's too dense and moist to be cooked in a cake pan. You could also us a square baking dish.
Use a cake tester or toothpick to check if it's done. Because it's so moist and dense, you will have moist cake sticking to the tester. But if it's still batter, bake a little longer.
👩🍳 Serving Ideas
Serve warm, topped with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle a little caramel over the top.
Or bake in a square baking dish, and slice into small snacking bars for a holiday dessert tray.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
More Cake Ideas
For a fabulous moist pound cake, check out this sour cream pound cake flavored with tangerine zest and maple. It comes out perfect every time.
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Cranberry-Orange Cake
Equipment
- 9" pie plate 8" square baking dish
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberries rinsed and drained
- 1 apple peeled, cored, and diced
- 1-½ cups sugar divided
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (1 cup)
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest of one orange
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)
- confectioners sugar, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F, and lightly butter a 9-inch pie plate with butter.Pro-tip: I do not recommend a cake pan for this cake. It is very moist and dense, and it may be difficult to remove it from the pan in one piece. Bake it in something you'll serve it in.
- Spread the cranberries and apple chunks in an even layer across the bottom of the pie pan. Sprinkle ½ cup of the sugar over them, and lightly toss.
- Using a wooden spoon, vigorously beat together the melted butter, flour, eggs, extract, orange zest, and the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a large mixing bowl to form a batter. Spread the batter over the cranberry mixture. If you want a slight sugar crust on top, dust the top with turbinado sugar.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake is set. Test by inserting a knife - it should come out clean but moist. You may have moist cake crumbs attached, but it shouldn't be batter.
- Place the cake on a wire rack to cool for about 20 minutes before slicing. Serve simply with a little spray of confectioners sugar on top, or serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, ideally drizzled with a little caramel.
leigh
Nothing wrong with copious amounts of butter. It's the only way to have it! This dish looks absolutely amazing!
Anna
It must be a sign! This recipe was not only your pick, but also Lauren's pick over on Sew You Think You Can Cook for last week's Holiday Treats reveal. What are the odds of that? It might just be that it's cranberry season, but I'm going to take it as a sign that I must make this again soon.
I love your substitution of the cocoa nibs, and adding the caramel drizzle over the ice cream. It looks so good!
Erin @ Making Memories
My cranberry loving family would LOVE this tart. Looks amazing!
Rita
sounds yummy!
Stephanie
This looks really good and really familiar (since someone did it last week for the holiday challenge). It must be a wonderful recipe. Great job.
Katie Zeller
I love anything cranberry - esp. now that I can get them 😉 And I really like easy....
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
I made this for our themed reveal! It's so good. But I was at a loss as to what to call it too. I've dubbed it a "pie cake". 🙂
Leslie Limon
Swoon! That is one beautiful tart!
cathy branciaroli
Susan - I think that Cranberries are under-appreciated, relegated to a Thanksgiving side dish and yucky sweet sauce worse yet. This sounds great and will look forward to trying it.
Mikkel Magnuson
Hi ! I am big fan of your recipes. I have tried Christmas cake it was awesome. I have almost tried all your cake recipes they always come out with new taste and well experience. This cranberry cake is so delicious as I have tasted it in someone birthday's party. Thanks for all your efforts to make every thing easy for us.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Mikkel!
Malin Andersson
Hello Wipmy! I think that you are very experienced in your profession. You have clicked very beautiful Craneberry cake pictures. This dish looks absolutely amazing.
Heather
wow what a fabulous brunch or dessert cake studded with luscious cranberries !
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!
Lauren Michael Harris
I was looking for some new ideas to serve during Christmas day when we have company. This snacking cake will surely be on our table!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm making it again this week! I hope you like it as much as we do!
veenaazmanov
Best time of the year to try these amazing treats. Delicious recipe and awesome combination of Cranberry.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Cranberries are a MUST this time of year. Thanks so much!
Erin
This looks so tasty! I love the pops of red. I have a cranberry Christmas cake recipe coming, too. Just waiting for the photographs (if they ever come 🤦♀️). I need to try your recipe! It sounds perfect.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'd love to see your cranberry Christmas cake too! Cranberry cakes and scones are my jam!
Karen
I’m missing the cocoa nibs amount in the recipe. I see where you add them, but I’m just a little confused.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
My mistake! I tried to simplify the recipe about a year ago, and made it without the nibs, thinking many people may not have them on hand. And I missed completely that they needed to come out of the instructions. I've put the ingredient back in, and labeled it optional. In truth, I think it's better with the nibs.
Tammy
Gorgeous! This would be a beautiful for Christmas morning while we open presents. This is such a delicious recipe for cranberries <3
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
Oh my sweet delicious heavens! This cake!!! Cranberries and snacking are spot on! This is a must-make cake!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I love snacking cakes! I hope you like it!
Alex
This cake was so delicious! Perfect for our Christmas party. Thank you so much!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
LaKita
This recipe for cranberry Christmas snacking cake is so simple to make, sweet, and absolutely delicious!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!
Carla metz
Hi! Sounds like great recipe. I noted called to add cocoa nibs but did not see in ingredient list. How much cocoa nibs? Thank you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Last year I was trying to simplify this recipe, and removed the chocolate nibs, but forgot to delete them from the instructions. Truthfully, I think it's better with the nibs, but love this cake either way. I've put the amount of nibs back into the ingredients, and labeled the ingredient optional. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Jules
This cake was the perfect size for our family and I had plenty of leftover cranberries that I was happy to use.
Debi
buttery, moist, and full of festive flavor. This cake is so good and easy to make!
Sue Ringsdorf
Cranberries and orange are a match made in heaven and this cake did not disappoint! Moist and full of flavor!
Jennifer
This was definitely delicious! Not sure I can call it a snack because I ate the whole thing without even thinking!
Kathleen
I made this cake last year and just found the recipe again, just wanted to thank you for a delightful recipe, making it again for a tea this weekend! So.Very.Good!
Lynn
This turned out beautifully! Thank you for a delicious and gorgeous dessert!
Laura Ashley Johnson
Cranberry orange has always been one of my Mamaw’s favorites! She loved this!
Janelle
I love cranberry orange anything so when I saw your recipe on Pinterest, I had to try it! It did not disappoint!
mandy
Such a lovely cake for the festive holiday season!