Cranberry Christmas Cake
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.
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.
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Tart fresh cranberries and sweet buttery cake are perfectly combined in this popular Christmas dessert!
Course: Dessert
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 252 kcal
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 9x13 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
Gluten Free Substitution: 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour + 1/2 cup potato starch + 1/4 cup tapioca starch + 1 teaspoon xanthan gum may be substituted for the amount of all-purpose flour listed in the ingredients above.