Cranberry Orange Cake

This cranberry orange cake is my new dessert obsession! There’s just something magical about the tart cranberries and bright orange zest.

It’s sunshine on a plate. And don’t even get me started on the cream cheese frosting. Silky and citrusy, it perfectly balances the cake’s sweetness.

This is the kind of dessert that makes you feel like you’ve created something truly special.

It’s festive, vibrant, and is guaranteed to impress anyone lucky enough to snag a slice.

Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Orange Cake

Perfect Pairing: The bright orange citrus notes harmonize beautifully with the tart berries. The result is a sophisticated, sweet-n-tangy taste to delight the palate. 

Seasonal Charm: With its festive ingredients and colors, this cake is ideal for the holidays. Make it for your Christmas celebrations or any winter gathering.

Crowd-Pleasing Layers: The cake’s moist, tender layers pair nicely with the rich frosting. It’s guaranteed to impress.

Ingredients

• All-Purpose Flour: It forms the base of the cake’s structure and provides a nice, tender crumb. 

• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: The leavening agents. They work hand-in-hand with the orange juice to give the cake extra rise and create a light, fluffy texture. 

• Salt: A quick and easy way to enhance all the other flavors. 

• Unsalted Butter: For moisture, richness, and a tender crumb. 

• Granulated Sugar: Cream it with the butter for sweetness and a fine, bakery-worthy texture. 

• Fresh Orange Juice & Zest: They bring a citrusy flavor to make the cake refreshing and flavorful. 

• Eggs: They hold the batter together and add additional moisture. 

• Vanilla Extract: Another incredible flavor enhancer.

• Sour Cream: The primary source of moisture, tenderness, and tanginess. It’s your secret weapon in the battle against dense, dry baked goods. 

• Cranberries: Use fresh or frozen, as you desire. Either will provide tart bursts of flavor and a beautiful color throughout the cake. 

• Cream Cheese Frosting: A rich, tangy blend of butter and cream cheese, sweetened with powdered sugar. A little vanilla extract and orange zest round out the flavor. 

How to Make Cranberry Orange Cake

Cranberry orange cake has quickly become one of my favorite Christmas cake recipes.

That’s mostly because it looks and tastes great. But its easy assembly doesn’t hurt, either! 

1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour three (3) 8-inch round cake pans. 

2. MIX. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Then, use a hand or stand mixer to beat the softened butter, sugar, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl. Once it’s light and fluffy, beat in each egg separately, then add the vanilla. 

3. COMBINE. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and orange juice/sour cream to the wet ingredients. Mix in each at low speed in the following order: dry, OJ+sour cream, dry, OJ+sour cream, dry. Gently fold the flour-tossed cranberries in last. 

4. BAKE. Divide the batter evenly in the three pans. Bake them all together for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. 

5. COOL. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Turn them out on wire racks to finish cooling. 

6. MAKE the frosting. Beat the softened butter and cream cheese in a large, clean bowl until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar a cup at a time, then add the vanilla and orange zest. Beat at medium-high speed until fluffy. 

7. FROST. If needed, level the cakes’ tops so they’re flat for stacking. Then, add the base layer to a cake stand and spread frosting on top. Add the second layer and more frosting. After adding the third layer, frost the entire cake. 

8. GARNISH and serve. Add whatever garnishes you like. Then, slice, serve, and enjoy! 

Tips for the Best Cranberry Orange Cake

Layered desserts can intimidate some people. Don’t let this one fool you!

It’s actually quite simple, and these tips will make it even more so. 

• Room-temp ingredients are key. Ensure the cold ingredients, butter, eggs, and sour cream, are at room temperature before use. This will ensure a smoother batter. 

• Fresh oranges are best. Zest them first, then juice them. I know getting the zest and juice from a bottle is more convenient, but the flavor just won’t be the same.

• Don’t thaw frozen cranberries! Instead, add them to the batter while still frozen. This will help them maintain their texture and moisture. 

• Flour the cranberries. This applies to both fresh and frozen ones. Toss them in flour until they’re well coated before mixing them into the batter. Doing so will help them stay in place instead of sinking to the bottom during baking. 

• Level the cake layers. After baking, your cake layers will likely have domed tops. That’s normal! But you’ll need to level them before stacking them for stability and a prettier appearance. Use a sharp, clean, serrated knife to make the process easier. 

• Choose your consistency. If it seems too thick to be spreadable, add more orange juice. If it’s too thin, sprinkle in a bit more powdered sugar to thicken it. 

• Remember to garnish! This cake will look nice as is. However, it’ll look even better with festive garnishes. Try sugared cranberries, orange zest, or candied orange slices. If you’re a skilled decorator, pipe on some orange or red frosting designs, as well. 

Recipe Variations

I’ll be honest: this recipe, as written, is as close to perfect as a cake recipe gets.

But I also love to play around with even the perfect recipes. So, I’ve come up with a few tweaks you can try. 

• Bake cupcakes instead! This gorgeous cake also makes adorable Christmas cupcakes. Simply use muffin tins and start checking for doneness at about 15 minutes. 

• Not a fan of layers? That’s okay! You can turn the cake into a 9×13 sheet cake instead. It requires no adjustments to the ingredients and only a slight one to the baking time. (It’ll take slightly longer.)

• Amp up the orange flavor. Increase the amount of orange juice and orange zest in the recipe. Or add in a few drops of orange extract. 

• Add different fruits. Cranberries and oranges pair perfectly together. But you could also swap the berries out for raisins, plums, dried cherries, or apricots. Or simply sugar the cranberries before adding them. 

• Liqueur up the frosting. Grand Marnier, Limoncello, and Licor 43 all work nicely in the cream cheese frosting. I’ve never tried Chambord or Frangelico, but I’ve seen other recipes that have. 

How to Store

Once you’ve frosted the cake, I don’t recommend freezing it. Cream cheese frosting doesn’t hold up well after freezing and thawing.

You have other storage options, though. 

To Store: Refrigerate the cake for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Let it come to room temperature before serving, as refrigerating it can dry it out slightly. 

To Freeze: If desired, you can freeze the unfrosted cake ahead of time to stack and frost later. Simply wrap each cooled layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature. Then, stack and frost as the recipe instructs.