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A slice of Christmas cranberry cake with butter sauce being poured onto the top of it.

Cranberry Cake with Butter Sauce

Krista Stechman
This moist cranberry cake has a hint of orange and a luscious creamy butter sauce. It's perfect for the holidays!
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course dessert
Cuisine american
Servings 12 people
Calories 605 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

Cranberries

  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 3 cups cranberries fresh or frozen raw cranberries, thawed

Dry Ingredients

  • cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter room temp
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk room temp

Butter Sauce

  • 1 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • zest of half an orange

Instructions
 

Coating the Cranberries

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F then spray and line a 9" cake pan
  • Toss the cranberries in a medium mixing bowl with ¼ cup all purpose flour then set aside

Mixing Dry Ingredients

  • Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl then set aside until needed

Mixing the Wet Ingredients

  • Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes
  • Mix in the oil and vanilla
  • With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the edges of the bowl between each addition
  • Add the milk and mix on low speed until combined
  • Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until combined, do not over mix
  • Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the flour coated cranberries
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, covering the cake the last 20 minutes loosely with foil
  • Allow cake to cool on a wire rack while you make the sauce

Making the Butter Sauce

  • Add all sauce ingredients except the orange zest to a medium sauce pot and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently
  • Simmer the sauce for 12-15 minutes, whisking frequently until thickened
  • Pour the sauce over the top of the cake and serve warm or at room temperature

Nutrition

Calories: 605kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 6gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 119mgSodium: 430mgPotassium: 127mgFiber: 2gSugar: 53gVitamin A: 1017IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 116mgIron: 2mg
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