Cranberry Christmas Cake: The Perfect Holiday Dessert Recipe
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This Cranberry Christmas Cake has a tart cranberry flavor paired with the sweet, buttery taste of cake. It’s soft, light, and the perfect addition to any holiday dessert table. 
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Y’all, let me tell you about the time I first whipped up this Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe.
I’d bought a few too many bags of fresh cranberries and they were just begging to be used.
So, I grabbed my trusty bundt pan and a few simple ingredients and made a tasty cranberry cake.
To mine and my familiy’s delight, the tartness of the cranberries and the sweetness of the cake came together in the most beautiful way.
It became an instant family favorite!
Now, the best part about this recipe? It’s so easy to make with only six ingredients.
This is the kind of cake that feels like home—ooey-gooey, tender cake that’s a beautiful golden brown with a moist, buttery bite.
With refreshing bursts of fresh cranberries in every bite, it’s a cake that’s light, but full of amazing flavor.
I love to double this recipe and bake this cake in round disposable aluminum pans with lids for gift giving!
Why You’ll Love the Recipe
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So easy to make: You can whip up this festive cranberry cake in no time. It uses simple ingredients and a basic baking process—anyone can make it!
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Tart and sweet perfection: The tartness of the cranberries balances beautifully with the sweet buttery cake. It’s got just the right amount of sweetness to make it irresistible.
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Perfect for the holiday season: Whether it’s Christmas morning, Christmas Eve, or any day in between, this cake just feels like the holidays.
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A gift-worthy dessert: This is one of my favorite recipes to bake and give as a gift. It’s a beautiful cake that looks as good as it tastes. Add some of my Sugared Cranberries on top to make it extra pretty.
Ingredients
These six ingredients are all you need to create an absolutely perfect cake that’s great to bake for the holiday season:
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Eggs: Make sure they’re at room temperature so they mix well into the batter.
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Sugar: This adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance the tart cranberries. It also helps create that soft, golden brown top.
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Unsalted Butter: Using softened butter makes the cake batter rich and smooth. It gives the cake that sweet buttery cake texture that will have you eating too much!
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Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla extract adds a warm, sweet flavor to the batter. You could substitute this for almond extract for a slight change in flavor.
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All-Purpose Flour: Regular all-purpose flour works best for this recipe. There’s no need for extra leavening agents—this cake rises beautifully on its own!
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Fresh Cranberries: Using whole fresh cranberries gives it the best flavor, but you can use frozen berries in a pinch, just see the note below.
How to Make Cranberry Christmas Cake
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F.
- Whip the eggs: In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs using an electric mixer on high speed for about 7 minutes. They should get thick and fluffy.
- Add butter and vanilla: Next, mix in the softened butter and a splash of vanilla extract. Beat everything together on medium speed for 2 minutes until creamy.
- Mix the flour: In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour and sugar). Slowly stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Don’t overmix!
- Fold in the cranberries: Gently fold in the whole fresh cranberries. If you only have frozen berries, see the note below.
- Prepare the pan: Grease a 9×13 rectangular pan, or use two 9-inch cake pans if you want to make cake layers or just two individual cakes. You can also line the pans with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Pour the batter: Spread the cake batter evenly into your prepared pan. Smooth the top of the cake so it bakes nice and even.
- Bake the cake: Pop it into the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a cake tester or toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, your cake is ready.
- Cool completely: Place the cake on a wire rack and let it cool fully beforing serving.
Using Frozen Cranberries
Fresh cranberries work best in the recipe. However, if you have a ton of frozen ones they can easily be used also.
Let them sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes before you mix them in though.
If you mix them in completely frozen, they will harden the batter and the texture will be compromised.
However, if you mix them in once thawed, you’ll dye the batter pink, and the cranberries won’t give that “pop” of freshness that this cake is known for.
Variations
As this cranberry Christmas cake is so simple, there are lots of ways to vary it! Try one of the following ideas if you wish to switch up the flavor a bit.
- Blueberry: of course, blueberries work easily in place of cranberries and give a whole new taste. This is wonderful in the summer months when blueberries are abundant and so high in flavor.
- Nuts: add a bit of crunch to the cranberry cake by mixing in some chopped pecans or almonds into the batter.
- Flavoring: adding some orange or almond extract can be a tiny tweak but one that brings a ton of flavor with it.
- Topping: You can dust the top with sifted powdered sugar for an extra sweet touch, if desired.
Tips For Success
- Beating the eggs – There is no baking soda or baking powder in the cranberry Christmas cake. To counter this, you need to beat the eggs for an extended time period (roughly 7 minutes) until they’re almost thickened. This acts as the leavening agent and is what will give the cake its fluffy texture.
- The Crust – You’ll notice that there is no glaze or topping on the cranberry Christmas cake. Though you can easily add a crumble topping, it’s not needed. As written, a crust forms on top of the cake when baked. This crust has a delicious crumbly, buttery texture and makes it so that no glaze is needed.
- How To Stir the Ingredients – You’ll be using an electric mixer to beat the eggs. However, when it comes to adding in the cranberries, use a wooden spoon to fold them in. This is to ensure that they don’t burst while stirring.
How to Store Cranberry Christmas Cake
This cranberry cake is best stored at room temperature lightly covered.
If you cover it tightly, then the top won’t have the same texture, so light wrapping is best.
Like this, it will last on the counter for up to 3 days.
You can freeze the cranberry cake as well, but let it thaw uncovered at room temperature if you’d like it to retain its moist texture. If stored in the fridge, the crust on top tends to go a bit softer and less buttery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both frozen and fresh cranberries can be used in baking recipes. If you use frozen cranberries, do not thaw them fully before mixing them in as they’ll add extra water to the recipe and dye the batter a light pink. Instead, let them sit on the counter for just 5 minutes and mix them in. This way, they don’t cause the batter to become too cold either.
To ensure that the cranberries don’t dye your batter, coat them in flour before mixing them into the batter so that the color doesn’t run. This will make it so that they give a pop of color when your baked good is sliced.
No. Cranberries are naturally very tart. Since there are no other sweeteners in the cake, the sugar listed is what you need for the recipe to have a cake-like taste.
More Cranberry Recipes
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 3/4 Cup Unsalted butter Softened
- 2 Tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 Cups All-purpose flour
- 12 Oz Fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Beat the eggs with your mixer until slightly thickened, about 7 minutes.
- Add the butter and the vanilla and mix for another 2 minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined and then fold in the fresh cranberries.
- Spread in a greased 9×13 pan – or two 9” round pans.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting into small pieces, if desired.
This cake is so delicious! I love its lightness, as well as the crust on top! Will definitely be making this again. You forgot to indicate when to add the sugar, so I added it after I added the butter and vanilla.