This Cranberry Sauce Cake is an easy holiday cake recipe. It features two orange-scented cake layers and cranberry orange sauce filling, for the perfect combination of sweet-tart flavors.
🎀The Easiest Holiday Cake You’ll Ever Make
Looking to do something different for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert this year? Skip the pie recipes and make this delicious Cranberry Sauce Cake instead! It’s easy to make, comes together quickly, and it keeps well, so you can make it several days in advance and minimize your holiday baking stress.
Logistics aside, this cake will win you over with its taste and texture. The cake is tender, with a crackling sugar crust on top, and a tart-and-tangy filling that goes perfectly with the citrusy sugar cookie flavor of the cake layers.
Sugar Cookie? Or Cake?
Although I call this a “cake,” the cake layers more closely resemble a sugar cookie (which is a plus in my book!). It starts with a thick dough that is chilled, rolled out, and pressed into a cake pan. A generous layer of cranberry sauce in the middle keeps the cake moist for days, and balances out the cake’s sweetness with a bracing tart flavor.
This cake is charming in its simplicity, and it’s a refreshing change from some of the heavier, more indulgent holiday cake recipes.
More Holiday Desserts
I made a version of this cake with a raspberry-kumquat layer before, and it was equally delicious! Don’t be afraid to play around with the filling! Any thick, fruity filling or jam would be delicious.
Here are a few other unconventional holiday favorites I think you’ll love: Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Pie, Persimmon Almond Rosette Tarts, and Chocolate Raspberry Almond Truffle Tarts.
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know as you gather your ingredients:
- All-purpose flour: If possible, use a kitchen scale to measure the flour properly. Adding too much flour can make your cake dense and dry.
- Baking powder: For leavening.
- Salt: To enhance the orange and cranberry flavors.
- Granulated sugar: Regular white granulated sugar both sweetens the cake and gives the top a festive look.
- Orange zest:One of my FAVORITE things about this recipe is the subtle but ever-present orange flavor, and that comes from rubbing orange zest into the sugar at the start of the recipe. This releases the orange oil and disperses the citrus fragrance everywhere. You can omit it if orange isn’t your thing, or use lemon zest instead.
- Unsalted butter: Bring your butter to room temperature before beginning, so it mixes easily into the cake layers.
- Eggs: We’re using one large egg and one large egg yolk in this recipe. Here’s my full guide to separating egg yolks and whites if you need a refresher, and don’t forget to save the egg white for a future batch of Meringue Cookies or buttercream!
- Vanilla extract: I highly recommend using this vanilla extract by Nielsen-Massey. The flavor is amazing.
- Cranberry Sauce: As the name suggests, cranberry sauce is the star of the show, so make sure you use a delicious cranberry sauce you enjoy eating. This is not the time to skimp and use a dusty can of sauce from the back of the pantry! I love and highly recommend my homemade cranberry sauce, but a good-quality store-bought sauce will also work.
Equipment
You don’t need much in the way of special equipment to make this cake, but there are a few things that will make your baking life easier: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Cake pan with removable bottom: This is optional, but HIGHLY recommended! A cake pan with a removable bottom makes unmolding this cake a breeze. You can also use a 9″ springform pan, if you have one, or check the Notes section in the recipe card for tips on using a standard cake pan.
- Microplane: I find a microplane to be the easiest way to zest the orange. If you don’t have one, you can also use a cheese grater.
- Mixer:You’ll want a stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment), or a hand mixer to make this recipe.
Ready to Make These?
- Get the recipe below 👇👇
- Scroll below the recipe for step-by-step photos
- Read important FAQs and more
❤️ More Cranberry Dessert Recipes
Leave a Review!
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Cranberry Sauce Cake
Ingredients
- 11.25 oz all-purpose flour, (2 ½ cups)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 7 oz granulated sugar, (1 cup)
- 1 TBSP orange zest, from 1 large orange
- 6 oz unsalted butter, (¾ cup), at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 oz cranberry sauce, (about 1 3/4 cups)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
- Combine the sugar and orange zest in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Rub them together between your fingertips, working the orange zest into the sugar until it’s evenly dispersed and very fragrant.
- Add the softened butter to the sugar in the bowl, and mix together on medium speed for a minute, until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer running on low, add the egg. Once it’s incorporated, add the yolk, and then the vanilla extract.
- Continue to mix on low speed and gradually stream in the flour mixture. Stop when just a few streaks of flour remain. Finish mixing by hand, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is well-mixed.
- Divide the dough in half – if you are using a kitchen scale, you should get two 13-oz portions. Form the dough into disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until chilled and firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan with a circle of parchment paper, and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Roll out one half of the dough into a 9-inch circle, and carefully transfer it into the cake pan. Use your fingers to push it into place and mend any rips or tears.
- Spoon the cranberry sauce onto the dough, and spread it out to the edges of the cake in an even layer.
- Roll out the second half of the dough into another circle, and place it on top of the cranberry sauce.
- Lightly brush the top of the dough with water or beaten egg, and sprinkle granulated sugar on top.
- Bake the cake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.
- Let the cake cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. (See Note below for unmolding instructions if you are using a cake pan without a removable bottom.)
- Serve plain, with whipped cream, or with a scoop of ice cream on top!
- Cranberry Sauce Cake can be kept, well-wrapped, for 3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
📸 Photo Tutorial: How to Make Cranberry Sauce Cake
Here’s a photo walkthrough of how to make this cranberry cake. You can find full printable instructions in the recipe card above.
- Mix dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/2 cups (11.25 oz) flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Make orange sugar. Before you begin the mixing process, rub 1 TBSP orange zest and 1 cup (7 oz) sugar together between your fingertips, until the sugar has the texture of damp sand and it is very fragrant.
- Add butter, eggs and vanilla. Add 3/4 cup (6 oz) softened butter to the orange sugar and mix until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Then add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add dry ingredients. Mix on low while slowly streaming the dry ingredients in. Finish mixing by hand once only a few streaks of flour remain.
- Divide and chill. Divide the dough in half, wrap each disc in plastic, and chill until firm (about 30 minutes).
- Roll. Roll out half of the chilled dough into a 9-inch circle.
- Prepare to bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175° C). Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment.
- Fill the pan. Press the dough circle into the bottom of the pan, and spread a thick layer of cranberry sauce on top of the dough.
- Top the cake. Roll out the second half of chilled dough and place it on top of the cranberry filling.
- Finish the cake and bake. Brush the top of the dough with water or beaten egg, and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until puffed and lightly golden, about 35-40 minutes.
- Cool. Cool completely before unmolding and serving.
- Enjoy!
💭 Variations
There are so many ways you can customize this recipe and make it your own! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Try different fruit: swap in a chunky jam for the cranberry sauce. Cherry and berry jams work particularly well. You can check out my Raspberry Kumquat Sugar Cookie Cake if you want some raspberry inspiration!
- Use pie filling: apple, pear, or peach pie filling would also be delicious. Make sure the filling is quite thick, not watery, so the texture of the cake isn’t negatively affected. If necessary, drain it for awhile before adding it to the cake.
- Use other citrus: instead of orange zest, try lemon zest or grapefruit zest.
- Spice it up: add cinnamon or a pumpkin pie spice blend to the dough, and sprinkle the top with a generous layer of cinnamon-sugar.
- Make ’em mini: make individual cakelets in muffin tins for the ultimate cute single-serving dessert!
💡 Tips and FAQs
Since the cranberry sauce layer is the star of the show, you want to make sure you use a cranberry sauce that you love eating. If you have a favorite jarred sauce, go for it! If you have a little extra time, I highly recommend making your own cranberry sauce. It’s easy, fast, and TOTALLY worth it.
Here’s the secret to super-intense orange flavor in your cake! Before you begin the mixing process, rub the orange zest and sugar together between your fingertips, until the sugar has the texture of damp sand and it is very fragrant. This process helps to release the oils in the zest and thus the orange flavor.
Yes, you can sub in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour in the recipe.
It is easiest to unmold the cake if you use a cake pan with a removable bottom or springform pan. Let the cake cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then remove it from the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, place it on a serving plate.
If you are using a cake pan without a removable bottom, let it cool completely in the pan before attempting removal. Run a small metal spatula or knife around the edge to loosen it, then place a cake cardboard or plate directly on top of the cake. Flip the pan upside-down, so the top of the cake rests on the board, and remove the pan. Peel off the parchment paper. Place your serving plate on the bottom of the cake, and flip it over again so the cake is right-side up on the plate.
The cranberry sauce layer helps keep the cake moist, and makes this a great make-ahead dessert option! This cake will keep, well-wrapped, for 3 days at room temperature and up to a week in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and let it come to room temperature before serving.
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I always have leftover homemade cranberry sauce and I can’t think of a better way to use it up! A sugar cookie cake….um yes please!
Hi Vanessa! This really is one of my favorite ways to use cranberry sauce. It’s SO good!
The cake looks fabulous. I am already craving for cranberry cake now.
Thanks Saif! I’m always ready for Cranberry Cake! LOL!
Wow! this is perfect for our thanksgiving gathering. The flavours are spot on, I am sure we will have no leftovers soon.
Thanks Seema! I really hope you get to try this recipe! It’s so tasty!
Loving the combination of sweet and tart in this festive cake. Can’t wait to try a slice.
Hi Kathleen! Thanks for commenting! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I love this. Such a great alternative to pumpkin. I can’t wait to make this tomorrow. I had all the ingredients in my pantry.
I love it when I have everything I need to try a new recipe! That’s the best! I hope it turned out well for you. 🙂