Orange Cranberry Cake

Enjoy a slice of this Orange Cranberry Cake with it's sponge texture topped with an orange glaze for a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors throughout. This is perfect as a holiday dessert or a lazy day cake.

Ingredients and substitutions for Orange Cranberry Cake

• Butter: Butter must be room temperature here to create the nice and fluffy base of the cake. Unsalted was used, though, you can substitute with salted butter.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives sweetness without adding additional flavor so the lemon flavors can come to the fore. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor. Icing or powdered sugar is best in the glaze because it dissolves into the orange juice thanks to it’s incredibly fine texture.
• Plain flour: The finer crumb in plain flour gives our sponge cake it's signature texture. However, you can substitute in equal measure with self-raising flour and omit the baking powder.
• Baking powder: This helps our cake rise so to create the nice light crumb and avoid a dense cake. Baking powder can expire, so it's best to check the best before date.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs are essential to bind with the butter and sugar. This allows more air to be introduced and gives our cake that nice and light texture.
• Oranges: Whole orange is required here as the zest flavors the batter and fresh orange juice the glaze that soaks into the cake. Medium Valencia or Naval oranges will work perfectly.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Orange Cranberry Cake:

Step 1: Rub: Toss the sugar and orange zest into a bowl and rub together to draw out the oils in the peel.

Step 2: Pale and fluffy: Add the butter and beat until pale and fluffy with an electric beater.

Step 3: Eggs: Add the eggs and beat until well combined and fluffy.

Step 4: Dry ingredients: Add the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir together.

Step 5: Toss: Into the wet ingredients and beat on low until just combined.

Step 6: Cranberries: Toss into the batter and stir through evenly.

Step 7: Cake batter: Spoon the batter into your loaf tin and spread out evenly, placing pieces of butter down the center.

Step 8: Bake: Until golden brown and slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin.

Step 9: Orange glaze: Whilst the cake is still warm, stir the glaze together until it drizzles off your spoon.

Step 10: Pour: Over your lightly warm cake evenly and allow to cool fully to set.

Step 11: Dig in: Slice up, serve and enjoy!

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Orange Cranberry Cake

Sylvie Taylor

This Orange Cranberry Cake is perfect as a holiday dessert or a lazy day cake with the orange sponge cake balanced by the tart cranberries and light orange glaze for a well rounded cake.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 10

Calories 394 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Cake

• 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
• 10 grams / 2 tablespoons orange zest finely chopped
• 200 grams / 7 ounces butter room temperature
• 165 grams / 3 large eggs room temperature
• 200 grams / 1 ¼ cups plain flour sifted
• 6 grams / 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 100 grams / 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen

Orange glaze

• 115 grams / 1 cup confectioner’s/icing sugar sifted
• 42 grams / 3 tablespoons orange juice 1 medium orange, divided

Instructions

 

Cake

• Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and lightly greaseproof a loaf tin, lining the base with greaseproof paper.
• Place the sugar and orange zest into a bowl and rub together to coat the zest thoroughly with sugar and draw out the oils in the peel.
• Toss in the butter and beat until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes with an electric beater.
• Add the eggs and whip until combined, approximately 1 minute.
• Stir the flour and baking powder together and add to the wet ingredients.
• Beat on low until just combined and no dry portions remain in your bowl.
• Spoon your batter into your loaf tin and spread out evenly.
• Optional step: Place a thin line of butter into the center of your cake before baking (this helps it rise evenly in the center).
• Place in the oven and bake until golden and slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin, approximately 55 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.

Orange glaze

• Whilst warm, brush over half the fresh orange juice before topping with your glaze.
• Pour the remaining juice and the confectioner’s sugar into a small bowl and stir until it drizzles off your spoon when you lift it up.
• Slowly and evenly pour over your lightly warm cake and spread to the edges
• Set aside to cool fully to set.
• Slice it up and serve with your favorite hot beverage.
• Dig in!

Notes

• Oranges: Whole orange is required here as the zest flavors the batter and fresh orange juice the glaze that soaks into the cake. Medium Valencia or Naval oranges will work perfectly.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives sweetness without adding additional flavor so the lemon flavors can come to the fore. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor. Icing or powdered sugar is best in the glaze because it dissolves into the lemon juice thanks to it’s incredibly fine texture.
• Loaf tin: A traditional loaf pan is ideal for this recipe, as it allows the cake to bake evenly and gives it that perfect shape. The loaf tin used here fits 1 kilo or 2 pounds.
• Best served: This is best served 1-2 days after being made as the texture is nicest and flavor best. It tends to be more buttery in texture and flavor on the day it's made.

Recipe by Roamingtaste

 

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal

Keyword cake, citrus, snack cake

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