🎄 Cranberry Christmas Cake
A tender, buttery Christmas cake bursting with fresh cranberries and finished with a beautiful dusting of powdered sugar.
This simple cranberry cake is the perfect holiday bake when you want something festive without making a complicated dessert. Fresh cranberries add bright tartness to the sweet, buttery cake, while the powdered sugar creates a pretty snow-covered finish.
Serve it with coffee, tea, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cozy Christmas dessert everyone will love.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 40–50 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 8–10 slices
Difficulty: Easy
Method: Oven-Baked
Pan: 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan
🛒 Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) fresh cranberries
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ cup (60 ml) milk, as needed for a smooth batter
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Optional Holiday Additions
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 tablespoon orange juice
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prepare the Oven and Pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Lightly grease the parchment as well.
Set aside.
2. Prepare the Cranberries
Rinse the fresh cranberries and remove any soft or damaged berries.
Pat them dry thoroughly.
Set aside.
If the berries are particularly large, you can leave them whole or cut a small portion in half for easier distribution throughout the cake.
3. Combine the Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
Set aside.
4. Cream the Butter and Sugar
Place the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Beat with an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes, until light and creamy.
This step helps create a lighter cake texture.
5. Add the Eggs and Vanilla
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Mix in the vanilla extract.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Add the Flour Mixture
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.
Mix on low speed just until incorporated.
Add the milk a little at a time, mixing until the batter becomes thick but smooth and easily spreadable.
Do not overmix.
❤️ Add the Cranberries
7. Fold in the Fresh Cranberries
Add the cranberries to the batter.
Using a rubber spatula, gently fold them in until they are evenly distributed.
The batter will be fairly thick, which helps suspend the cranberries throughout the cake.
8. Fill the Pan
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
Spread the top evenly with a spatula.
If desired, press a few additional cranberries gently into the surface for a beautiful festive appearance.
🔥 Bake
9. Bake Until Golden
Place the cake in the preheated oven.
Bake for approximately 40–50 minutes, or until:
- The top is lightly golden
- The center is set
- A toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs
Avoid inserting the toothpick directly into a cranberry, as the berry’s juices can make it appear as though the cake is underbaked.
If the top becomes too brown before the center is finished, loosely cover it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes.
10. Cool
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack.
Allow it to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edges, then carefully remove the cake from the pan.
Transfer it to the rack and allow it to cool completely.
❄️ Finish With Powdered Sugar
11. Dust and Decorate
Once the cake has completely cooled, place it on a serving plate.
Using a fine-mesh sieve, generously dust the top with powdered sugar.
For an especially festive presentation, dust just before serving so the powdered sugar looks fresh and snowy.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Use fresh cranberries
Fresh cranberries provide the best tart flavor and beautiful ruby-red color. Frozen cranberries can also be used—there is no need to thaw them first.
Don’t overmix
Once the flour is added, mix only until the ingredients come together. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
Use room-temperature eggs
Room-temperature eggs blend more easily with the creamed butter and sugar, helping create a smoother batter.
Balance the tartness
Cranberries are naturally quite tart. The sugar in the cake provides balance, but if you prefer a sweeter dessert, you can serve each slice with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Check the center carefully
Because cranberries release juice while baking, use the toothpick test on the cake itself rather than directly through a berry.
🍊 Easy Holiday Variations
Cranberry Orange Christmas Cake
Add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the batter and replace the milk with ¼ cup orange juice.
Cranberry Walnut Cake
Fold ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter along with the cranberries.
Cinnamon Cranberry Cake
Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon for a warm holiday spice flavor.
Cranberry Almond Cake
Add ½ teaspoon almond extract along with the vanilla and sprinkle sliced almonds over the top before baking.
Glazed Cranberry Cake
Instead of powdered sugar, drizzle the cooled cake with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar and a little orange juice.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve slices of cranberry Christmas cake:
- With freshly brewed coffee
- Alongside hot tea
- With whipped cream
- With vanilla ice cream
- With a drizzle of warm vanilla or orange glaze
- As part of a Christmas dessert table
For an elegant holiday presentation, add a few fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs around the cake before serving.
🧊 Storage
Store the completely cooled cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Bring slices to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
Dust with fresh powdered sugar after storing if needed.
❄️ Freezing
The cake can be frozen before dusting with powdered sugar.
Wrap the completely cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours at room temperature.
Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving.
🎄❤️ Final Result
This Cranberry Christmas Cake is tender, buttery, lightly sweet, and filled with bright bursts of tart fresh cranberries.
The snowy powdered-sugar topping makes it especially beautiful for Christmas, while its simple preparation makes it an easy addition to your holiday baking list.
A cozy homemade cake with ruby-red cranberries and a snowy finish—the perfect little taste of Christmas. 🎄🍰❤️