Cranberry Cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ For the Cake Batter
01 -
3 large eggs, at room temperature
02 -
2¼ cups granulated sugar
03 -
¾ cup unsalted butter, very soft (plus extra for greasing)
04 -
¼ cup whole milk, at room temperature
05 -
2 tsp vanilla extract
06 -
1 tsp almond extract
07 -
2½ cups all-purpose flour
08 -
½ tsp salt
→ For the Cranberries
09 -
12 oz fresh whole cranberries
10 -
1 tbsp all-purpose flour for coating
# Instructions:
01 -
Turn your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish and set it aside.
02 -
Using a hand mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl for 6 to 7 minutes. You want the mixture to get really thick, pale yellow, and almost double in size. This step is important for a light, fluffy cake.
03 -
Add the soft butter, milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the whipped egg mixture. Beat for another 1 to 2 minutes until everything is fully combined and smooth.
04 -
Turn your mixer to low and slowly add the 2½ cups of flour and salt. Mix just until you don't see any dry flour anymore. Don't overmix or your cake will be tough. The batter will be pretty thick.
05 -
In a separate bowl, toss the fresh cranberries with the tablespoon of flour until they're lightly coated. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom while baking.
06 -
Gently fold the flour-coated cranberries into the thick batter. Spread the batter into an even layer in your prepared baking dish.
07 -
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is lightly golden and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If the top starts browning too fast, loosely tent it with aluminum foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
08 -
Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. This helps it set up properly.
# Notes:
01 -
Make sure your eggs, milk, and butter are all at room temperature for the best texture.
02 -
Beating the eggs and sugar for the full 6-7 minutes is crucial - don't cut this short.
03 -
Tossing the cranberries in flour really does help keep them from sinking.
04 -
Fresh cranberries work best, but you can use frozen in a pinch - just don't thaw them first.
05 -
This cake is great plain or with a light dusting of powdered sugar on top.
06 -
Leftovers keep covered at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.