This exquisite cranberry cake recipe delivers a wonderfully fluffy, delicately spiced cake generously studded with vibrant, tart fresh or frozen cranberries. Crowned with a simple yet irresistible brown sugar streusel, it offers the perfect touch of sweetness and a delightful crunch in every bite. Ideal for holiday gatherings or simply to enjoy the best of winter’s flavors, this cake promises a memorable baking and tasting experience.

Table of Contents

• A Quick Look at This Delicious Cranberry Cake
• Why You’ll Fall in Love with This Spiced Cranberry Cake
• Ingredients & Substitutions for Your Cranberry Cake
• Creative Variations for Cranberry Cake
• Professional Baking Tips for Success
• How to Make the Best Cranberry Cake: Step-by-Step
• Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip: The Secret to a Picture-Perfect Cake
• Cranberry Cake Recipe FAQs
• Recommended Cranberry Dessert Recipes
• Cranberry Cake Recipe Card
• Before You Go: Explore More Delicious Cakes

This is truly a light and fluffy spiced cranberry cake, boasting an incredibly tender crumb that’s a joy to eat. What truly sets it apart is that it’s perfectly balanced – not overly sweet, allowing the natural, vibrant pops of tart cranberries to shine through in every bite. I intentionally used a generous amount, a whole pound of cranberries, and I couldn’t be happier with the result! This ensures that there are cranberries in every single forkful, providing a delightful textural contrast and refreshing tartness. This is all beautifully complemented by the hint of extra sweetness and satisfying crunch from the brown sugar streusel topping, making it an all-around sensational dessert.

As the weather cools and the holiday season approaches, cranberries naturally take center stage in our kitchens. They symbolize warmth, festivity, and delicious homemade treats! It’s the perfect time to start preparing large batches of savory cranberry chutney and classic cranberry sauce. For more delightful holiday treats and seasonal bakes, don’t miss out on these comforting cranberry cinnamon jam bars or these festive spiced apple cider cranberry cupcakes. This cranberry cake recipe is sure to become a new favorite in your holiday baking repertoire, bringing cheer and delicious flavors to your table.

Ingredients & Substitutions for Your Cranberry Cake

Creating a truly remarkable cranberry cake starts with understanding the role each ingredient plays. Here’s a closer look at the key components and how they contribute to the final product:

• Granulated Sugar: Beyond just sweetness, granulated sugar is crucial for the cake’s structure and tender crumb. It helps to cream with the butter, incorporating air for a lighter texture. If you’re looking to reduce the sweetness or add a different depth of flavor, you can substitute up to half of the granulated sugar with brown sugar. However, using too much brown sugar might alter the cake’s texture and moisture content slightly.
• Sour Cream: This is a secret weapon for an incredibly moist and soft cake! Using full-fat sour cream provides richness and acidity, which tenderizes the cake crumb and keeps it from drying out. The acidity also reacts with the baking soda, aiding in leavening. Excellent substitutes include full-fat Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, both of which offer similar moisture and tang.
• Whole Milk: Whole milk adds essential fat and moisture, significantly enhancing the cake’s texture and overall flavor. Its richness contributes to a luxurious mouthfeel. While you can use your favorite milk substitute (like almond, oat, or soy milk), be aware that these may subtly alter the cake’s taste and potentially its texture due to varying fat contents. For the best results, stick to whole milk if possible.
• Ground Cinnamon & Ginger: These warm spices are perfectly chosen to complement the bright, tart notes of the cranberries. Ground cinnamon provides a classic comforting sweetness, while ginger adds a subtle, peppery warmth that elevates the flavor profile without overpowering it. For an adventurous twist, consider trying this cake with my homemade apple pie spice blend or even a unique speculoos spice mix for a more European-inspired flavor.
• Cranberries: The star of the show! Whether fresh or frozen, cranberries bring that iconic tartness and beautiful color to the cake. A common question arises about package sizes: why are fresh cranberries often sold in 12-ounce bags while frozen ones come in 16-ounce bags? It’s a mystery! Regardless of the size you find, this recipe benefits from a generous amount. I used a full bag of frozen Massachusetts cranberries, which were absolutely superb. You can confidently use any size bag you find, and there’s no need to defrost frozen cranberries beforehand – simply toss them directly into the batter.
• Unsalted Butter: Essential for richness and flavor in both the cake and the streusel. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content in the recipe. Make sure it’s soft and pliable for creaming, but melted for the streusel for the right consistency.
• All-Purpose Flour: The foundational dry ingredient, providing structure to the cake. Ensure it’s measured correctly, preferably by weight, to avoid a dense cake.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These leavening agents work together to give the cake its light and fluffy texture. Baking soda needs an acid (like sour cream) to activate, while baking powder acts independently and provides an extra lift.
• Vanilla Extract: A crucial flavor enhancer that brings warmth and depth, complementing both the cranberries and the spices. Use a good quality vanilla for the best results.
• Kosher Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the other flavors in the cake. Don’t skip it!

For a complete list of ingredients with precise quantities, please refer to the detailed recipe card below.

Creative Variations for Your Cranberry Cake

While this cranberry cake recipe is absolutely perfect as is, it also serves as an excellent canvas for creative culinary experimentation. Here are some delightful variations to make it uniquely yours:

• Elevate with Frosting or Buttercream. For a more decadent dessert experience, consider topping this cake with a luscious frosting or buttercream. Imagine it with a tangy cream cheese buttercream frosting, a light and fluffy ermine frosting, a cozy maple frosting, or a rich caramel swiss meringue buttercream! If you opt for a frosting, I recommend omitting the streusel topping baked directly onto the cake. Instead, prepare a separate batch of baked streusel topping and sprinkle it generously over the frosted cake just before serving for that signature crunch and flavor.
• Explore Different Fruits. While cranberries are phenomenal, you can certainly experiment with other fruits. You could use dried, reduced-sugar cranberries, similar to what I use in my cranberry orange shortbread cookies, but be aware that you’ll miss that vibrant, tart ‘pop’ characteristic of fresh or frozen cranberries. For a different twist, substitute half of the cranberries with finely diced Granny Smith apples or D’Anjou pears – their crisp texture and mild sweetness pair beautifully with the remaining cranberries and spices. This versatile cake can also be made with frozen blueberries or a medley of mixed berries for an equally delicious result.
• Infuse Extra Flavor and Texture. Take your cranberry cake to the next level by incorporating additional flavors and textures. For a bright and zesty spiced orange cranberry cake, grate some fresh orange zest directly into the sugar before creaming it with the butter – this releases its essential oils for maximum impact. If you crave more crunch, toast some chopped walnuts, pecans, or even almonds. You can fold these toasted nuts into the cake batter along with the cranberries, or sprinkle them on top of the cake with the streusel for a fantastic textural contrast. A touch of lemon zest can also brighten the cake.
• Adjust the Size and Presentation. This recipe is incredibly adaptable! You can easily bake this batter into 24 delightful cupcakes, perfect for individual servings at parties or bake sales. Simply adjust baking time accordingly (usually 20-25 minutes). Alternatively, bake it in a rectangular 9×13-inch baking dish for a classic sheet cake that’s easy to slice and serve. For a more elegant presentation, divide the batter between two 9-inch round cake pans to create a beautiful 2-layer cake, ready for a generous layer of your favorite frosting in between.

Professional Baking Tips for Success

Achieving a bakery-quality cranberry cake is within your reach with these expert tips:

• Embrace Room Temperature Ingredients. This seemingly small detail makes a significant difference in the final texture of your cake. Ideally, all your ingredients – especially butter, eggs, sour cream, and milk – should be at room temperature. This allows them to emulsify properly, creating a smooth, homogenous batter that traps air efficiently, resulting in a lighter and more tender crumb. If you’re short on time, you can quickly bring eggs to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes while you gather other ingredients. Don’t worry too much if your sour cream and milk aren’t perfectly warm; the batter will still emulsify nicely.
• Resist Opening the Oven During Initial Baking. Patience is a virtue, especially during the first 20 minutes of baking. This cranberry cake, with its delicate crumb and the added weight of the fruit, is quite fragile during its initial rise. Opening the oven door too early can cause a sudden drop in temperature, making the cake collapse and hindering the development of its crucial crumb structure. Allow the cake to set before peeking or rotating. Even when you do rotate the pan after 20 minutes, do so gently and quickly to minimize disturbance.
• Master the Streusel Consistency: Avoid Too Much Butter. The streusel topping is meant to be crumbly and crunchy, not greasy. I find the specified consistency for the crumble topping in this recipe to be perfect, achieving that ideal balance. However, if you prefer a slightly richer streusel, you can add a tiny bit more melted butter, a half tablespoon at a time, until it just clumps together. Be cautious not to overdo it! Adding too much butter will cause the flour and fat to separate during baking, resulting in a greasy topping rather than a crisp, golden streusel, and it can also soak into the cake, making the top soggy.
• Don’t Overmix the Batter: Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, leading to a tough, dry cake. Mix until ingredients are just combined, especially after adding the dry ingredients. A few lumps are fine!
• Prepare Your Pan Properly: Greasing and flouring (or using parchment paper, as recommended) your baking pan is crucial to prevent sticking. Nothing is more frustrating than a beautiful cake that won’t release cleanly from the pan.
• Test for Doneness: Always rely on the toothpick test. Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached (but no wet batter), your cake is ready. Baking times can vary based on oven calibration and pan material.

How to Make the Best Cranberry Cake: Step-by-Step

Follow these detailed instructions to create this sweet and tart cranberry cake. You’ll find further precise measurements and ingredient details in the full recipe card provided below.

Prepare the Baking Dish:

Step 1: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Whether you use a convection or regular setting is up to you, but I personally prefer to use no fan (conventional setting) when baking with frozen cranberries. This helps prevent the outside from baking too quickly before the center is done. Generously spray your chosen baking dish (a 9×13-inch pan or a 9-inch round springform pan works well) with non-stick baking spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. Set it aside.

Prepare the Streusel Topping:

Step 2: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the streusel: melted unsalted butter, vanilla extract, light brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and a pinch of kosher salt. Use your fingertips to mix and squeeze the ingredients together until a crumbly mixture forms. This method ensures an even distribution of butter and creates perfect streusel clumps. Set this mixture aside for later.

Pro Tip: You can add a little more melted butter, ½ tablespoon at a time, if you desire a slightly wetter, more cohesive streusel. However, for a classic, crispy topping on this cake, I find the initial consistency described here to be ideal.

Prepare the Cake Batter:

Step 3: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all your dry ingredients for the cake: all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and kosher salt. Whisk them thoroughly to ensure the leavening agents and spices are evenly distributed. Set this bowl aside.

Step 4: In a separate, smaller bowl, whisk together the wet dairy ingredients: the full-fat sour cream and whole milk. This ensures they are fully combined and ready to be incorporated smoothly into the batter. Set this aside.

Step 5: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer in a large bowl), cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Beat them on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is visibly light in color and fluffy in texture. This step incorporates essential air, contributing to the cake’s tender crumb.

Step 6: Add the large eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. After adding the second and third eggs, pause to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle attachment (or beaters) to ensure everything is evenly mixed. Add the vanilla extract with the last egg, beating until just combined.

Step 7: Now, it’s time to alternately add the wet dairy mixture and the dry flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Begin and end with the dry ingredients to prevent the batter from breaking. Add about one-third of the dry ingredients, mix on low speed until just combined, then add half of the milk mixture, mix, and repeat. Stop the mixer just before the last addition. Scrape any remaining sour cream or milk mixture from the bottom and sides of the bowl into the mixer, then add the final portion of the flour mixture. Resume mixing on the lowest speed only until the ingredients are just incorporated, being careful not to overmix (photo 1).

Chef’s Insight: I always prefer to finish mixing the batter by hand with a spatula, just the last few folds, to ensure the batter is never overmixed. This helps maintain a tender crumb.

Step 8: Gently fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries using a spatula (photos 2 & 3). Be mindful not to crush them. I like to reserve a small handful of cranberries to sprinkle on top of the cake before baking, but this is entirely optional for visual appeal.

Note on Frozen Cranberries: If using frozen cranberries, they will stiffen the batter slightly, making it a little more challenging to mix and spread. This is completely normal and won’t affect the final outcome.

Bake the Cake to Golden Perfection:

Step 9: Carefully scoop the prepared cranberry cake batter into your greased and parchment-lined baking pan. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to gently spread the batter evenly across the bottom of the pan, ensuring a consistent thickness (photo 4).

Step 10: If you reserved some cranberries, sprinkle them over the top of the batter. Then, generously sprinkle the prepared brown sugar streusel topping evenly over the entire surface of the cake batter (photo 5). This layer will bake into a beautiful, crunchy, and flavorful crust.

Step 11: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, indicating it’s fully cooked. This typically takes approximately 45-55 minutes. Remember to rotate the pan gently halfway through the baking time, around the 20-minute mark, to ensure even baking. Be very careful not to disturb the rising cake or its delicate bubbles!

Step 12: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before attempting to slice it (photo 6). Cooling completely is crucial for the cake’s structure to set, preventing it from crumbling when cut. Patience will be rewarded with perfect slices!

Cranberry Cake Recipe FAQs

If you tried this delicious Cranberry Cake recipe and loved it, please take a moment to leave a 🌟 star rating and share your experience in the comments section below. I genuinely love hearing from you; your comments and feedback truly make my day and help other bakers!

Before You Go: Explore More Delicious Cakes

I sincerely hope you thoroughly enjoyed baking and tasting this perfectly spiced holiday cranberry cake recipe. Its balance of tart and sweet, combined with a tender crumb and crunchy streusel, makes it a true seasonal delight. But don’t let your baking adventure end here!

Be sure to explore our extensive collection of other cake recipes for more inspiration. If you’re looking for another comforting autumnal treat, this pumpkin spice layer cake is a must-try, brimming with warm spices and tender layers. Or, for a classic that never fails to impress, my easy moist chocolate cake recipe is a go-to for its simplicity and rich flavor. Happy baking!