Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake (Print version)

Tender crumb with orange zest and tart cranberries for a cozy morning treat.

# Required ingredients:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup milk
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Flavorings and Add-ins

09 - Zest of 1 large orange
10 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

→ For Serving

11 - Powdered sugar for dusting

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, cream softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add milk, eggs, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Fold in orange zest and chopped cranberries gently with a spatula until evenly distributed.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired. Slice and enjoy.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cranberries stay tart and juicy, cutting through the sweetness in a way that wakes up your taste buds instead of weighing them down.
  • Its forgiving enough for a weekday but impressive enough that guests think you planned ahead.
  • You can eat it warm with butter or cold straight from the fridge, and both ways feel right.
02 -
  • If you skip softening the butter and try to cream it cold, youll end up with grainy lumps that never fully blend into the batter.
  • Chopping the cranberries matters more than you think, whole berries create pockets of intense tartness that can be jarring, but chopped ones spread their flavor throughout each slice.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for the full 10 minutes or it may crack when you try to remove it, I learned this the hard way on my second attempt.
03 -
  • Zest the orange directly over the bowl of wet ingredients so the oils spray into the batter and maximize the flavor.
  • If using frozen cranberries, dont thaw them first or theyll bleed too much color into the batter and turn everything pink.
  • Line the bottom of your pan with parchment even if you grease it, this guarantees a clean release every single time.
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