Orange Cranberry Layer Cake

This Orange Cranberry Layer Cake is the ultimate holiday dessert—citrus-infused cake layers, tart cranberry curd, and a white chocolate buttercream frosting. Easy enough for beginners but impressive enough for entertaining!

Last year we featured an easy Orange Cranberry Loaf cake which has a nice simple glaze, but this one is more of a showstopper and the cranberry curd shows off the fruit in a different way than is done with this Cranberry Cheesecake that is also fantastic, particularly if you prefer no bake dessert.

Ingredients and substitutions for Orange Cranberry Layer 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 orange 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.
• 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.
• Cranberries: Tart and full of flavor, fresh cranberries were used here, though defrosted frozen cranberries work just as well for the curd.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Orange Cranberry Layer 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: Egg yolks: Add in 1 egg yolk and whip until combined. Repeat with remaining yolks.

Step 4: Mix the dry ingredients: Combine the flour mixture in a separate bowl and toss into the wet ingredients whisking until a cake batter has formed.

Step 5: Whip: The egg whites until soft peaks form before gently folding the whites into the batter until fully incorporated.

Step 6: Cake tins and bake: Spoon into your baking tins, smooth out and bake until golden or a skewer comes out clean from the edges of your cake.

Step 7: Cranberries: Cook the cranberries and sugar covered until soft.

Step 8: Curd: Blend and add the remaining ingredients and heating until thickened. Set aside to cool.

Step 9: Whip: The egg whites and sugar until soft peaks form. Continue beating on low until it’s reached temperature. Remove and whip at room temperature until stiff.

Step 10: Optional: Char the meringue a little with a blowtorch.

Step 11: Buttercream: All the cubed butter until the buttercream is smooth before adding in the vanilla extract, salt and white chocolate.

Step 12: Assemble your cake: Place your base cake layer onto a plate and evenly spread a portion of the buttercream on top and smooth out with a rim of buttercream. Fill with the cranberry curd before adding the second layer and decorating to your preferences.

Step 13: Serve up and slice: Dig in!

More layer cakes you'll love

German Chocolate Cake

Lemon Strawberry Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake

Orange Cranberry Layer Cake

Sylvie Taylor

Orange sponge cakes sandwich homemade cranberry curd, and a creamy white chocolate frosting, this layered dessert is elegant and perfect for any special occasion. This simple but stunning recipe combines bold citrus with festive cranberry tartness for a cake that tastes as good as it looks.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 10

Calories 531 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Orange Sponge Cakes

• 180 grams / ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons superfine/caster sugar
• 10 grams / 2 tablespoons orange zest finely chopped
• 180 grams / 6.3 ounces butter room temperature
• 165 grams / 3 large eggs room temperature and separated
• 180 grams / 1 cup + 2 tablespoons plain flour sifted
• 6 grams / 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Cranberry Curd

• 200 grams / 2 cups cranberries fresh or frozen and defrosted
• 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
• 54 grams / 3 large egg yolks room temperature
• 30 grams / ¼ cup corn starch sifted
• 40 grams / 3 tablespoons butter

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 100 grams / 3 large egg whites room temperature
• 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 225 grams / 7.93 ounces butter room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 150 grams / 5.3 ounces white chocolate melted

Instructions

 

Orange Sponge 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 egg yolks and whip until combined, approximately 1 minute.
• Add in 1 yolk and beat until well combined, approximately 1 minute.
• Repeat with each remaining egg yolk until well combined.
• Stir the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl.
• Toss into the butter and egg yolks and whip on low until just combined and no dry portions remain in your bowl.
• Whip the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl until stiff peaks form, approximately 9 minutes.
• Fold the egg whites into the batter until smooth.
• Pour evenly into the cake tins and place in the oven until golden, approximately 20 minutes or until the edges have pulled away from the tin and a skewer comes out clean.
• Beat on low until just combined and no dry portions remain in your bowl.
• Remove and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.

Cranberry Curd

• Place the sugar and cranberries into a saucepan on low heat and cover, cooking until a soft sauce has formed, approximately 6 minutes.
• Remove from the heat, blend until smooth and strain into a bowl, discarding the skins. Toss in the egg yolks and cornstarch whisk swiftly.
• Return the cranberry mixture to the saucepan and heat on low, whisking constantly until thickened and bubbling, approximately 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and toss in the butter, whisking to combine until smooth and glossy.
• Set aside and cover to cool completely.

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• Place a small saucepan on low heat with enough water not to touch the base of a heatproof bowl.
• Place the egg whites and sugar into the bowl and put over the simmering water.
• Beat on low until your egg whites reach 73C/165F (if you don’t have a thermometer, the best test is to put a clean finger into the egg whites and you feel no sugar granules between your finger or can’t keep your finger in the mixture for more than 3 seconds), approximately 4 minutes.
• Remove the egg whites from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
• Beat on medium speed with a whisk attachment until stiff and the bowl is tepid to the touch.

(Optional step)

• If you have a blowtorch, char the meringue, whisk to combine for 10 seconds and repeat 1-2 more times.
• Toss in all the cubed butter and whisk on the lowest setting to incorporate, approximately 3 minutes.
• Increase the speed to medium and beat until your buttercream is smooth, approximately 10 minutes.
• Add in the vanilla extract, salt and white chocolate and whip for a further 2 minutes until smooth.

Assembly

• Place your base cake layer onto a plate and evenly spread a portion of the buttercream on top and smooth out to a ¼ inch thickness with a rim of buttercream.
• Spoon and spread the cranberry curd evenly into the center of the cake.
• Lay the second layer on top and press down lightly to ensure the layers are evenly stacked.
• Place approximately 6 tablespoons of the buttercream on the cake and smooth out over the entire surface to form your crumb coating.
• Smooth out and ensure you do not mix the crumb coating portion into the remaining buttercream.
• Place the cake into the fridge to set for 30 minutes or set at a cool room temperature for 1 hour.
• Finish with the remaining Swiss meringue buttercream, decorating how you prefer.
• Serve up and slice.
• Dig in!

Notes

• Using store-bought cranberry sauce: If you prefer to use store-bought sauce for your curd. The weight of cranberry sauce before making the curd was 222 grams so if you’re replacing with store-bought cranberry sauce this would be ¾ cup + ¾ tablespoon of sauce.
• Room temperature ingredients are vital: To create the best sponge cake; your butter and eggs need to be room temperature. The butter combines with the sugar better and results in a fluffy texture. Whilst room temperature eggs allow for better aeration resulting in a fluffier texture that results in a perfect crumb.
• Hand or stand mixer is needed: To whip the cake batter and buttercream, this is best done with an electric beater. It helps give your sponge cakes the light airy texture and whip your buttercream best. Both can be done by hand, but you will need some elbow grease to get the texture right.
• Cake tins: 2 x 18 centimeter or 7 inch cake tins were used here for a higher cake due to the batter not being a large recipe. The smaller your tin the higher the cakes will be. If your cake tin is any larger then 23 centimeters or 9 inches, your cakes will be much flatter than they appear here.

Recipe by Roamingtaste

Nutrition

Calories: 531kcal

Keyword cake, chocolate, citrus, layer cake, winter baking

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