Cranberry Orange Cake

Cranberry orange cake is a special treat. Cranberries, orange and almonds make for a fragrant cake that’s sweetened with a light glaze. Farina flour lends a rustic texture.

This cranberry orange cake recipe serves as an elegant finish to a dinner party, or a not-too-sweet treat as an afternoon pick-me-up. Serve alongside biscotti if you’re having guests over for tea and want a selection of afternoon desserts.

Ingredients for Cranberry Orange Cake

• Sugar: This cake has a modest amount of sugar, so the orange and cranberry flavor shines.
• Canola oil: Oil keeps it light and moist.
• Eggs: Eggs bind the cake together and add richness.
• Orange zest and juice: Orange zest (careful not to get any of the white pith) and freshly squeezed juice add bright, aromatic orange flavor. Here’s how to zest a lemon.
• All-purpose and farina flour: Regular and farina flour combine to add structure and texture to the cake.
• Baking powder: A little baking powder adds just enough lift.
• Dried cranberries: Using dried cranberries adds berry flavor without adding moisture.
• Sliced almonds: Almonds add flavor and just enough crunch to make this cake interesting.

Orange glaze:

• Confectioners’ sugar: This type of sugar blends seamlessly into a glaze.
• Orange juice and milk: Using both freshly squeezed orange juice and milk makes this glaze thin enough to drizzle, but adds some tangy orange flavor.
• Orange zest: Sprinkling additional orange zest over the glazed cake is optional, but pretty.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare oven and pan

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch round baking pan.

Editor’s tip: For even more security, line the bottom of the baking pan with a round of lightly greased parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Make cake batter

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, eggs, zest and juice. In a separate bowl, whisk dry ingredients together: flour, farina, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in cranberries.

Step 3: Bake

Scrape batter into prepared pan and sprinkle sliced almonds over the top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 4: Make glaze

Whisk together glaze ingredients. It should be thin enough to pour. Spoon over warm cake, sprinkle with orange zest if using, and let cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

Cranberry Orange Cake Variations

• Try a different berry: For a summer version, swap in dried cherries instead of cranberries and lemon zest.
• Go naked: If you’d like a cake with a touch less sweetness, serve without the glaze or with unsweetened or very lightly sweetened whipped cream.
• Make it super-Tuscan: This cake is inspired by an Old World Italian-style cake. Embrace this and substitute a fruity olive oil for the canola oil.

How to Store Cranberry Orange Cake

This cake can be stored covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Can you freeze cranberry orange cake?

This cake can be frozen, unglazed, for up to 3 months. The key is to wrap it well to prevent freezer burn. Try wrapping snugly in plastic wrap and then again with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Thaw at room temperature overnight and glaze before serving.

Cranberry Orange Cake Tips

Can you use fresh cranberries in this cake?

This cake was designed to be used with dried cranberries. They’re usually sweetened, which works well here since there isn’t a lot of sugar in the batter. Dried berries also don’t add extra moisture.

How can you keep berries from sinking in a cake?

This batter is thick enough that sinking shouldn’t be an issue, but dusting berries with a little bit of flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom. This tip works for fresh berries and chocolate chips in other bread and muffin recipes, too.

What is farina?

Farina, also found in the United States as cream of wheat cereal, is a whole wheat grain that is cracked, and the bran particles are removed to create farina.