Description
This delicious, moist orange and cranberry coffee cake recipe is the sweetest way to use up all that leftover holiday cranberry sauce!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crumb Topping:
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the Cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups (195 gm) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup full-fat buttermilk
- 1/2 cup leftover cranberry sauce
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Crumble:
- Stir together the melted and cooled butter and orange juice in a small bowl. Add the sugar and salt, and stir to combine. Then, mix in the flour until just combined. Place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the cake.
Make the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch pan (or springform pan) with baking spray and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Mix in 1/2 cup of the flour, along with the baking powder, the baking soda, and the salt. Mix on low until just combined.
- Stir in the buttermilk and then, using a low speed, add the remaining flour just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread about 2/3 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spoon dollops of the cranberry sauce over top of the batter, leaving a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the cake. Then, using the blade of a knife, a toothpick, or a skewer, make a shallow swirl patter the preserves. It doesn’t have to be in any specific pattern. It’s just to help keep the sauce from sinking to the bottom of your cake during the baking process.
- Add the remaining batter on top and sprinkle the whole thing with the crumbles, breaking up any big clumps into a crumb size you prefer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is puffed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
Make the Glaze:
- While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze by whisking together all the ingredients until a thick glaze forms. Add more powdered sugar to thicken it up, if needed. Or add a bit more sour cream or lemon juice to thin it out. When the cake has cooled to room temperature and/or you’re ready to serve the cake, drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake. Add your preferred garnishes and serve.
Notes
- QUICK & EASY CRANBERRY SAUCE: You can use any homemade cranberry sauce in this recipe. But if you need to make some, here’s my favorite recipe. Add 4 cups of rinsed, fresh cranberries to a medium-sized saucepan. Add 3/4 cup water, 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon orange zest, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. Simmer, occasionally stirring, until the liquid has reduced and the cranberries have popped and started to break down, about 10 minutes. Let cool before using.
- SUGARED CRANBERRIES: If you want to garnish your cranberry cake with sugared cranberries, here’s what you’ll need to do. Make a simple syrup by completely melting a cup of sugar in a cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat. You just want to dissolve the sugar (don’t boil). Let cool to room temperature, and then add fresh cranberries to the simple syrup to coat. Remove them with a slotted spoon and let them cool for 45 minutes on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet or parchment paper. When ready, roll the cranberries in granulated sugar. And they’re ready to use!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake