Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake (Printable)

Tender cake infused with orange zest and studded with tart cranberries for a bright morning treat.

# What You Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup milk
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Flavorings and Add-ins

09 - Zest of 1 large orange
10 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

→ For Serving

11 - Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, cream softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add milk, eggs, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain cake tenderness.
06 - Fold in orange zest and chopped cranberries gently with a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, allowing structural integrity to develop.
10 - Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before finishing and serving.
11 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving if desired. Slice and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cranberries stay tart and jammy, giving little pockets of brightness in every bite.
  • It tastes fancy but uses pantry staples you probably already have.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have settled into each other.
02 -
  • If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them or they will bleed too much color and make the batter streaky.
  • Room temperature ingredients blend faster and create a smoother batter, so plan ahead and set eggs and milk out early.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the orange directly over the batter so the oils fall right in and perfume everything.
  • If the top starts browning too fast, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
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