Cranberry Orange Cake

I love classic cakes, but I’m also a big fan of cakes made with yogurt or quark. They make the cake just a little lighter and fresher. That’s especially true for this cranberry orange cake. With orange and cranberries, it’s packed with festive holiday flavors. So good! I might just have to bake it again this Christmas.

Recipe Ingredients

For making this cranberry orange cake you will need the following simple ingredients. While easy, it is always best to make sure to double check the ingredients in the recipe card below.

• flour – the base of the cake is made with all-purpose flour
• baking powder – the cake gets its fluffy texture from both baking powder and the eggs
• eggs – I always use medium eggs and for this recipe, you will need four
• sugar – in the batter I’ve used granulated sugar and for the glaze you will need powdered sugar
• oranges – while you can use packaged orange juice I always prefer fresh orange juice for the best orange flavor. You will also need orange zest
• yogurt – the Greek yogurt in the cake batter provides a delicious moist cake
• oil – instead of butter this cake uses sunflower oil. Since that doesn’t become firm at room temperature the cake will be softer and more moist. If you want you can substitute for melted butter but I do prefer oil for this recipe
• cranberries – I used dried cranberries in the orange cranberry cake

How To Make Cranberry Orange Cake

Making this easy cranberry orange cake is pretty straightforward. Make sure you have all ingredients at room temperature before you start.

While you can certainly use the bowl of a stand mixer, it is absolutely not necessary as you don’t need to whisk this cake for very long. In fact I would advise to use a regular bowl to prevent overmixing.

1. Use a large bowl and combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, orange zest and a little bit of salt. Mix it together.
2. In another bowl you combine the wet ingredients; Greek yogurt, eggs, orange juice and the sunflower oil. Mix until smooth.
3. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stop stirring as soon as it just comes together. Fold the dried cranberries into the batter and pour into a lined loaf pan.
4. Bake the cranberry orange loaf cake in the preheated oven at 175˚C/350˚F (conventional oven) for abut 55-60 minutes but always check with a wooden skewer if the cake is cooked properly.

Making the glaze

The glaze is simply a mixture of powdered sugar combined with a bit of orange juice. Drizzle over the cooled cake and let it dry. You can add other toppings (like sprinkles), if you want to, while the icing is still wet.

Storing Cranberry Orange Cake

You can store the cranberry orange cake wrapped properly or stored in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

Can you freeze this orange cake recipe?

Absolutely. You can freeze the cake and store for up to three months. I would advise adding the glaze once it is defrosted for the best results.

More Recipes with Cranberries

If you love cranberries as much as I do, make sure to also check the recipes below for a few of my favorites!

• Fresh cranberry compote
• Cranberry orange thumbprint cookies
• Cranberry orange bundt cake