This cranberry coffee cake recipe is all about a deliciously moist and tender cake packed with tart, juicy cranberries and balanced by a sweet, buttery crumb topping. It’s an absolute stunner on any breakfast or brunch table!
Table of Contents
Many coffee cake recipes featuring cranberries end up with the berries sinking into the batter during baking. Not this one. The thick batter of this cranberry coffee cake keeps the cranberries afloat, resulting in a beautiful cake with bursts of cranberry flavor in every bite.
Love fruit-filled coffee cakes? Then you’ll enjoy my pineapple coffee cake, blueberry coffee cake, and apple pie filling coffee cake. They’re all easy to make and packed with fruity flavors, just like this cranberry coffee cake.
This recipe was found in a Home Ec dessert book, and a teacher submitted each recipe. The book was published in the 1960s and has many classic recipes including this cranberry treasure.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Classic Flavors: This recipe combines the classic flavors of tart cranberries and sweet, moist cake in a way that’s hard to resist.
- Family Favorite: Everyone in the family loves the incredible texture and flavors in this coffee cake. It’s truly a feast!
- Ideal for the Holidays: This coffee cake is a festive dessert, making it a hit during the holiday season.
- Super Easy to Make: Don’t let its impressive appearance fool you – this cake is super easy to make and beginner-friendly too!
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Key Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: This is the base of our cake, providing structure and a light, airy crumb. We’ll also use it in our crumble topping to get the right crumbly texture.
- Baking Powder: This will be our leavening agent to give us the perfect texture and crumb to our coffee cake.
- Salt: It enhances the sweetness of the other ingredients and balances the overall flavor of the cake.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and also helps to give it a golden brown color when baked. We’ll also use it in the crumble topping to sweeten it to just the right level.
- Cold Butter: When cut into the flour mixture, it creates a crumbly texture, which is essential for a coffee cake. We’ll use regular butter in our crumble topping as well.
- Egg: This acts as a binder, holding all the other ingredients together.
- Fresh Cranberries: These tart, juicy berries add a burst of flavor and a gorgeous pop of color to the cake.
Equipment
- Pastry Blender – You’ll need this to cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients for the cake base, ensuring a crumbly texture.
- 8×8 or Small Rectangular Pan – This is where you’ll bake the coffee cake. Make sure to grease it well so the cake doesn’t stick.
How to Make Cranberry Coffee Cake Recipe
Preparation
To start, preheat your oven to 375˚ F and grease your baking pan. This will make sure that your coffee cake doesn’t stick to the pan and bakes evenly.
Step 1 – Make the Cake Base
Combine the dry ingredients by mixing the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Then, cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender. This will give your coffee cake a soft, crumbly texture.
Step 2 – Add the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Then, add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Spread this cake base evenly into your greased baking dish.
Step 3 – Add the Cranberries
Next, it’s time to add the star of the show – the cranberries. Simply sprinkle the halved cranberries over the cake base in the baking dish.
Step 4 – Make the Crumble
To add a sweet, crunchy topping to your coffee cake, combine the crumble ingredients. Mix the flour, sugar, and butter, then sprinkle this mixture over the cranberries in the baking dish.
Step 5 – Bake the Coffee Cake
Pop your coffee cake into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Step 6 – Serve
Once baked, take your coffee cake out of the oven and let it cool for a bit. It’s best served warm, so dig in while it’s still toasty.
Expert Tip
To guarantee a tender, crumbly texture in your coffee cake, make sure your butter is cold when you mix it into the batter. The cold butter creates little pockets of steam as the cake bakes, resulting in a light and airy cake. I also recommend popping the dish into the fridge while you cut the cranberries into halves and prep the crumble topping.
Recipe Variations
- Different Fruit: While this recipe calls for fresh cranberries, feel free to experiment with other fruits. Blueberries, raspberries, or even diced apples would all work well in this coffee cake.
- Nuts: If you’re a fan of nuts, consider adding a cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumble topping for an extra crunch.
- Orange Zest: For a pop of citrus flavor, add the zest of an orange to the cake batter. The bright, fresh flavor will complement the tartness of the cranberries.
What to Serve With
- For a delicious dessert, serve this cranberry coffee cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. The creamy texture of the ice cream or the lightness of the whipped cream pairs perfectly with the tartness of the cranberries in the cake.
- If you’re serving this for breakfast or brunch, I recommend pairing it with a hot cup of coffee. The bitterness of the coffee compliments the sweetness of the cake, making for a well-balanced morning treat.
Make Ahead Instructions
Half the cranberries ahead of time and the recipe will come together quickly when you’re ready to bake.
Recipe FAQs
The combination of the egg, milk, and cold butter in the cake batter helps to make this coffee cake moist and tender. Be sure not to overmix the batter to keep the texture light.
Yes, you can use frozen cranberries instead of fresh ones. However, be sure to thaw them first and pat them dry to prevent excess moisture in the cake.
The coffee cake is done when the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It usually takes about 30-35 minutes in a preheated 375˚ F oven.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Once the cake has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: If you want to enjoy this coffee cake at a later time, you can freeze it. Once it has completely cooled, wrap it securely in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy the coffee cake, simply let it thaw at room temperature. This should take about 3-4 hours.
- Reheating: If you prefer your coffee cake warm, you can reheat it in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F, place the unwrapped coffee cake on a baking sheet, and warm it for about 10-15 minutes.
More Cranberry Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Serving Size
- What to Expect: This cranberry coffee cake recipe yields a delicious coffee cake that’s enough to serve 9 people.
- How to Scale: If you’re planning to serve a larger crowd, you can easily double the recipe and follow the instructions as directed. You can then bake it in a 13×9-inch pan to accommodate the larger quantity. Just make sure to check for doneness as it may take a little longer to bake with the increased amount of batter.
Cranberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 Cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 5 Tablespoons cold butter
- 1 egg
- ½ Cup milk
Crumble Topping
- 2 ½ Cups fresh cranberries halved
- ¼ Cup all purpose flour
- ½ Cup sugar
- 3 Tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚ F. Grease an 8×8 or small rectangular baking pan.
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender.
- Whisk together the egg and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Spread evenly into the baking dish.
- Sprinkle the halved cranberries over the batter base.
- Combine crumble ingredients of flour, sugar, and butter. Sprinkle over the cranberries.
- Bake in a preheated 375˚ F oven for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm.
Hello – This looks very yummy. I cooked it for 35 minutes and it doesn’t seem like it is cooked enough. What do you suggest?
If a cake doesn’t look done, keep baking in 3 minute increments checking each time if it’s done. You can see that it’s done when you insert a toothpick in the center and it comes out clean.
Not sweet. Taste like biscuit made cake with out any sugar
Should it be 1/2 cup of sugar for the cake?
Hi. The original recipe only calls for 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. You can increase that and test with a sweeter cake to counteract the cranberries if you prefer. I’ve only tested the recipe with the 1/2 teaspoon.