This easy cranberry orange cake is packed with tart cranberries and bright citrus flavor from fresh orange zest and juice. Made with olive oil and a simple, no-mixer batter, it bakes up with a moist, tender crumb and a golden, lightly crisp top. It's a festive cake for the holidays, but just as delicious for a casual snack.
This single-layer cranberry orange cake is a variation of my popular simple apple cake, with fresh cranberries and orange replacing the apples and cinnamon. The batter comes together easily with a whisk and a few basic ingredients. Chopping the cranberries takes the most time, but the rest of the preparation is straightforward.
With nearly 3 cups of cranberries folded into the batter, every slice has plenty of bright, tart fruit flavor. Fresh orange zest and juice add a sweet citrus note, while olive oil keeps the crumb moist and tender. The top bakes up golden with a lightly crisp finish and slightly chewy edges.
I love the contrast between the sweet cake and the tart cranberries. It's delicious on its own with a light dusting of powdered sugar, or served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
This cake is festive enough for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but simple enough to make whenever fresh cranberries are in season. It's also naturally dairy-free, with no butter or milk in the batter.
For more simple seasonal cakes, try my chocolate pear cake, chocolate orange cake, and Meyer lemon almond cake.
Ingredients
Cranberries - Use fresh cranberries. Chop them into halves and quarters (see process photo for reference) so they spread throughout the batter.
Orange zest and juice - Use a large navel orange. Grate the zest directly into the batter to capture all the citrus oils. You'll need the juice of about half the orange.
Olive oil - Oil keeps the cake tender and moist, and makes the batter easy to stir together by hand. An everyday olive oil works well here, adding a subtle richness that complements the cranberry and orange flavors.
Granulated sugar - Adds sweetness and helps form a lightly crisp, golden top.
Eggs - Large eggs should be at room temperature.
Vanilla extract - Use pure vanilla extract, or swap 1:1 with vanilla paste for a richer flavor.
All purpose flour - I recommend weighing flour with a digital scale for consistent results. If you don't have one, fluff the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level with a knife.
Baking powder - Gives the cake a light, tender rise.
Kosher salt - I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt in my recipes.
Instructions
These photos provide basic visual cues. Find detailed instructions in the recipe card.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) round metal baking pan with parchment paper.
Roughly chop cranberries into halves and quarters.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Whisk together until fully combined. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine oil and granulated sugar. Mix well.
Add eggs, vanilla and salt, mixing well until smooth.
Grate orange zest into wet ingredients and add orange juice. Mix well.
Add a heaping tablespoon of the flour mixture to the cranberries and toss to coat them.
Tossing the chopped cranberries with a little flour mixture helps keep them evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
Add the remainder of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture.
Mix the flour into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.
Fold in the chopped cranberries.
Pour batter into pan, ensuring cranberries are evenly distributed and batter extends to edges of pan.
Bake 65-70 minutes. Top should be golden brown and tester should come out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling.
Equipment
9-inch round metal pan - For evenly baked cakes, I use and recommend the 9-inch round pan made by Fat Daddio's. It's my go-to for its quality and even heating.
A note on pan material: I recommend a metal pan for this recipe. Glass pans heat differently and retain heat longer, which can cause the edges to overbake before the center is done.
If using glass, consider reducing the oven temperature by 25°F and checking carefully for doneness. Baking time may vary.
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating. ★★★★★ Your feedback, suggestions, and adaptations are very helpful to other bakers!
📖 Recipe
Cranberry Orange Cake
INGREDIENTS
- 300 grams cranberries, fresh (see notes if using cups)
- 195 grams all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 84 grams olive oil
- 300 grams granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 7.5 mL vanilla extract, pure
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, Diamond Crystal
- orange zest, from 1 large Navel orange
- 45 mL orange juice, freshly squeezed, from same orange
INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions
- Line the base of a 9 inch (23 cm) round metal baking pan with parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C, Gas mark 4) with a rack in the center position.
- Coarsely chop the cranberries into halves and quarters (roughly - precision isn't needed). Place into a medium bowl and set aside.Place the cutting board in a sheet pan with raised edges to prevent cranberries from rolling everywhere. Chopping the cranberries is the hardest step. It's easy after this!300 grams cranberries
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.195 grams all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and granulated sugar until well combined.84 grams olive oil, 300 grams granulated sugar
- Add the eggs, vanilla and salt and whisk until smooth.2 large eggs, 7.5 mL vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Using a microplane grater, grate the orange zest directly into the bowl.orange zest
- Juice the orange, and add 3 Tablespoons of juice to the batter.45 mL orange juice
- Add 1 heaping Tablespoon of the reserved dry ingredient mix to the chopped cranberries, tossing well to coat.This step helps ensure the fruit doesn't sink to the bottom of the cake.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the wet batter and fold gently until just combined.
- Fold in the chopped cranberries until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Ensure the fruit is evenly distributed.
- Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.It might look done sooner on the outside, but there's enough fruit in this cake to require the longer bake in order to fully bake the center.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. For a clean release, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the edges from the pan. Place a cooling rack upside down onto the cake and flip the cake onto it. Remove the parchment paper and flip again to finish cooling right-side up.
- If desired, serve cake with a light dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.
EQUIPMENT
- 9 inch (23 cm) round metal baking pan
NOTES
- For a square cranberry orange cake, use an 8 x 8-inch square pan (20 x 20 cm). Bake time remains the same.
- You can also bake this cake in a 9 x 9-inch square pan (23 x 23 cm). It will be a bit shorter and bake more quickly. Start checking the cake at 55-60 minutes.
- To double the recipe, use a 9 x 13-inch pan (23 x 33 cm). The cake will likely need a few additional minutes in the oven.
- Doneness check: Due to the generous amount of fruit, this cake may look fully baked on the outside before the center is done. Insert a knife or toothpick into the center; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The crumb will become more moist as the cranberries release their juices.
- Freeze, well wrapped in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost unwrapped at room temperature.
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