Cranberry Coffee Cake
Cranberry coffee cake is a festive spin on coffee cake with tart cranberries and sweet crumbly topping. It is guaranteed to brighten up holiday breakfasts, weekend brunch, and afternoon treat with a hot cup of coffee.
The holiday season is chock full of decadent treats.
Gingerbread, sugar cookies, homemade candy.
If you want a little sweet treat but want something brighter but still still festive, this cranberry coffee cake is just the thing.
The tart cranberries balance the buttery sweetness of the crumb topped cake and it pairs so well with a cup of hot tea or coffee for a cozy winter snack or breakfast.
And since you can make it ahead, it works just as well for a relaxed weekend breakfast as they do for feeding overnight guests or bringing something homemade to a brunch gathering.
Serve a slice alongside your morning coffee, add it to a holiday breakfast spread, or enjoy a piece in the afternoon when you’re craving something sweet but not quite ready for dessert.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Flour– All purpose.
- Baking powder– For lift.
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon
- Sugar– Granulated.
- Butter– Softened to room temperature.
- Sour cream– Full fat is best.
- Orange juice– If you don’t like the orange flavor, substitute an equal amount of milk.
- Vanilla extract– Real is best.
- Cranberries– Fresh ones.
- For the topping– Flour, brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon.
How to Make
Cranberry coffee cake is pretty easy to make.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl.
Once it’s evenly combined, set it aside.
Beat the butter and sugar together until they are light and fluffy in another large mixing bowl using a hand mixer.
Beat the eggs in one at a time, not adding another until the previous egg is completely incorporated.
Then beat in the sour cream, orange juice until everything’s evenly incorporated.
Then add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until evenly combined, starting at a slower speed and gradually increasing it.
After the first portion of the flour mixture is incorporated, repeat this with the remaining flour mixture.
Fold the cranberries into the batter with a spatula until they are evenly distributed.
Spread the batter out in an even layer in an 8×8″ baking dish you’ve sprayed with nonstick spray.
Set the dish aside and make the topping by mixing all of the topping ingredients together with two forks until the mixture is combined and crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping evenly out overtop of the batter.
Bake the coffee cake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until it’s golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and let the cake rest for 5-10 minutes.
Slice, serve warm, and enjoy!
Storing
Before storing, let the coffee cake cool completely
Then, store leftover cranberry coffee cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
If you refrigerate it, warm it in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds first.
Freezing
You can also freeze this holiday coffee cake for up to 3 months.
Just wrap individual slices or the whole cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and put the wrapped slices or cake in a freezer safe, ziplocking bag.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature prior to heating in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds and serving again.
Tips and Tricks
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, make sure to start the mixer on a lower speed so the flour doesn’t poof up and make a mess. You can turn the speed up after the flour has started to incorporate.
- For extra decadence, make a quick glaze with a cup of powdered sugar, two tablespoons or so of orange juice or milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Drizzle it over the cooled cake.
- This is a yummy sweet breakfast or afternoon snack.
Other Cranberry Breakfasts and Desserts
Cranberry coffee cake is a sweet bite any time of day this holiday season.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other cranberry infused breakfasts and desserts?
Try these:
- Cranberry Crisp
- Cranberry Bread Pudding
- Cranberry Fluff Salad
- Cranberry Walnut Bread
- Cranberry Christmas Cake
If you’ve tried this CRANBERRY COFFEE CAKE, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Cranberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick butter softened
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
For The Topping
- 1/2 cup flour
- packed 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 tbsp butter softened
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon to a mixing bowl and whisk together until evenly combined. Set aside.2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Add the butter and sugar to another large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer beat together until smooth & fluffy.1 stick butter, 1 cup sugar
- Add the eggs and beat them in, one at a time, until completely incorporated.2 large eggs
- Add the sour cream, orange juice, and vanilla- blending again until everything's evenly incorporated.1/2 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Add half the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix just until evenly combined, starting at a slower speed and gradually increasing it so it doesn't poof up and make a mess. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture.
- Using a spatula, fold the cranberries into the batter until evenly incorporated.2 cups fresh cranberries
- Spray an 8x8" baking dish with nonstick spray, then add the batter to it and spread it out in an even layer.
- Add all of the topping ingredients to a small bowl and mix them together using two forks, or clean fingers, until evenly combined & the mixture's crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly out overtop of the batter.1/2 cup flour, packed 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Slice, serve warm, and enjoy!
Notes
- When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, make sure to start the mixer on a lower speed so the flour doesn't poof up and make a mess. You can turn the speed up after the flour has started to incorporate.
- For extra decadence, make a quick glaze with a cup of powdered sugar, two tablespoons or so of orange juice or milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Drizzle it over the cooled cake.
- This is a yummy sweet breakfast or afternoon snack.
Nutrition
