You’ll love the flavors in this easy, delicious, glazed cranberry orange cake, bursting with fresh cranberries and citrus zest (makes 12 servings)!
If you enjoy the flavor combination of cranberries and oranges, then you will most likely LOVE this delicious cranberry orange cake! It is really easy to make, and I am confident you will enjoy it, like we did! I tweaked the original recipe just a smidge, and added a simple glaze, which enhanced the cake wonderfully!
I love this time of year, when fresh cranberries appear in the grocery stores. It is always fun to experiment with new recipes using cranberries (and oranges) each year.
In the past I’ve used this combo to make scones, bread, bagels, cookies, muffins, salads, and even homemade cranberry orange sauce for our Thanksgiving table! So much flavor!
This recipe for cranberry orange cake is wonderful! It was so good I KNEW it would be dangerous to have around the kitchen, because I “might” be tempted to shove the entire cake into my mouth.
To avoid that little problem, I wrapped up and delivered plates with a couple pieces on them to 4 of our neighbors, so they could enjoy it, too! Here’s how to make it:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Make The Batter For The Cranberry Orange Cake
Before you start on the cake batter, preheat your oven to 350° F. Since it doesn’t take too long until the batter is ready to bake, you will want to have your oven ready to go!
Generously grease or spray a 9×9″ or 8×10″ baking pan (bottom and sides). You can use butter or a non-stick baking spray to do this.
Place room temperature butter, orange zest (finely grated peel), and 1 cup of the granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl (or a stand mixer bowl). Cream the ingredients together with a mixer, until they become fully blended and fluffy (a couple minutes).
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and beat until they have been fully incorporated.
Mixing The DRY Ingredients
Measure 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour out into a small dish and set aside. You will use this later. Place the remaining flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl, and whisk the ingredients together, to combine.
Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating between the flour and buttermilk, and mixing on low speed after each addition.
Remember the 2 Tablespoons of flour you previously set aside? Okay… now you need to add the fresh cranberries to the flour. Gently stir until the cranberries are completely coated with flour! Doing this helps prevent the cranberries from “bleeding color” into the cake batter!
Once the cranberries are coated in flour, add them to the cranberry orange cake batter. Gently fold the floured cranberries into the batter.
Baking The Cranberry Orange Cake
Evenly spread the cake batter into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the batter with the remaining Tablespoon of granulated sugar. Bake the cranberry orange cake at 350° F. for 35-40 minutes, then test for done-ness.
When done, the cake should be golden brown on top. Test for done-ness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
If cake needs a little more time (oven temps. vary), put it back in the oven and check on it every 4-5 minutes, until done. Mine ended up taking 40 minutes to be done, but yours may take a few minutes more or less, depending on the heat of your oven. Just keep an eye on it from the 35 minute on.
Once done, remove the cake from the oven, and transfer the baking dish to a wire rack. While it is still hot, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Making A Glaze For The Cranberry Orange Cake Is A Cinch!
While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Place powdered sugar into a small bowl, and add 1 teaspoon orange juice. Stir well.
Continue to add a few drops of water at a time to the glaze, stirring after each addition, until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle over the cake, but not too thick OR too thin. You want it to drizzle in a thin stream.
Use a spoon and drizzle the glaze over the entire surface of the cake while it is still hot. All the glaze will run over the cake and into all of those holes you poked with the toothpick! Once you’ve drizzled all of the glaze evenly over the top, let the cranberry orange cake cool completely!
The glaze will firm up as the cake cools, and once the cake has cooled completely, it is ready to serve! Cut the cranberry orange cake into 12 small pieces, serve and enjoy this delicious treat!
See all those colorful cranberries peeking out everywhere in this cake? Yum. Lots of FLAVOR, and the finished cake is nice and moist!
Sure do hope you will try this yummy cake, and trust you will enjoy it as much as we did! Have a fantastic day, and please come back again soon for more recipes!
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Original source for cake (no icing): https://alexandracooks.com/2011/12/16/cranberry-buttermilk-breakfast-cake/
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
You'll love the flavors in this easy, delicious, glazed cranberry orange cake, bursting with fresh cranberries and citrus zest (makes 12 servings)!
- ½ cup butter (1 stick) , room temperature
- 1 orange (ZEST ONLY) (reserve juice for glaze)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (+ 1 Tablespoon set aside for later)
- 1 large egg , room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour , divided use
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange juice (can substitute water)
- water (as needed)
Preheat oven to 350° F. Generously grease or spray a 9x9 " baking pan (bottom and sides). Use butter or non-stick baking spray.
Place butter, orange zest (finely grated peel), and 1 cup of granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl (or a stand mixer bowl). Cream ingredients together with electric mixer, until fully blended and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add egg and vanilla extract to the mixture; beat until fully incorporated.
Measure 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour into a small dish and set aside (you will use this later). Place remaining flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl, and whisk together, to combine. Add flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating between flour and buttermilk, mixing on low speed after each addition.
In a small bowl, add fresh cranberries to reserved 2 Tablespoons of flour. Gently stir until cranberries are completely coated with flour. Doing this prevents cranberries from "bleeding color" into cake batter! Once coated, gently fold them into the cake batter. Evenly spread cake batter into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the batter with remaining Tablespoon of granulated sugar.
Bake cake at 350° F. for 35-40 minutes, then test for done-ness. When done, cake should be golden brown on top. Test for done-ness by inserting a toothpick into middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, cake is done. If cake needs more time (oven temps. vary), put it back in the oven and check on it every 4-5 minutes, until done. Once done, remove cake from oven, and transfer dish to a wire rack. While still hot, use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Place powdered sugar into a small bowl. Add 1 teaspoon orange juice. Stir well. Continue to add a few drops of water at a time to this glaze, stirring after each addition, until glaze is thin enough to drizzle over the cake. You want it to drizzle in a thin stream. Use a spoon to drizzle glaze over the top of the cake while it is still hot. The glaze will run over the cake and into all of the holes you poked with the toothpick! Once you've drizzled all of the glaze evenly over the top, let the cranberry orange cake cool completely! Once cooled completely (and glaze has firmed up), slice cake into 12 pieces, serve and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!