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A serving of cranberry coffee cake on a square white plate with baking pan in background.
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4.56 from 18 votes

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Cranberry coffee cake with orange zest and cardamom will fill your home with scents of the holidays and is perfect for brunch.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Cakes & Cupcakes
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 15
Author: Rachel Gurk

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ cup orange juice (zest the orange first)
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest (from 1 orange)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (or ground cinnamon, if you prefer)
  • 1 ½ cups cranberries, frozen or fresh
  • 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 × 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to mix together softened butter, orange juice, milk and egg.
    ⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened, ¼ cup orange juice, ¾ cup whole milk, 1 large egg
  • Next, add flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, orange zest, and cardamom to the bowl. Beat on low for 20 to 30 seconds until combined and then increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon orange zest, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • Pour half of batter into prepared pan and spread to evenly cover bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 cup cranberries. Spread remaining batter over cranberries. It may look like there isn't enough batter but don’t worry, the cake will rise and it will end up perfect! Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cranberries on top.
    1 ½ cups cranberries, frozen or fresh
  • If desired, top the batter with turbinado sugar (see note).
    3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs.
  • Let cool slightly before cutting and serving. May be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Notes

  • Topping ideas: If you don’t have turbinado sugar, you can omit it or use regular granulated sugar instead. The cake is great with a streusel topping, too. 
  • Fruit alternatives: Try this cake with blueberries, raspberries, or cherries instead of cranberries.
  • Storage: When completely cool, cover the coffee cake and store for 2 to 3 days at room temperature. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg

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