This Cranberry Dessert pairs orange and cranberry to create an easy and elegant holiday treat that just might become a new tradition in your house! A cross between a cake and a tart, this dessert is springy, citrusy, and sweet – perfect for sharing with friends and family this holiday season.
I love it when recipes have stories behind them, don’t you? Every time you make them, these recipes bring back memories, making them even sweeter. This cranberry recipe comes from a family we used to homeschool with growing up. Truly, they are INCREDIBLE at making delicious desserts (they now run an award-winning chocolate shop), and this recipe is no exception.
Whenever we make this cranberry dessert, it reminds me of their mom who went to be with the Lord in 2020 after battling breast cancer. While we all miss her, we know we’ll see her again and we can still treasure our memories of her as we make her recipes and enjoy her family’s chocolate. This cranberry dessert has become a tradition in our home, and I’m so excited to share it with you this Christmas!
What pairs well with cranberries?
Cranberries pack such a festive, flavorful punch when you use them for baking. They’re very versatile, so you can pair them with a wide range of flavors. For example, dark or white chocolate with cranberry makes a rich, decadent dessert. Almond extract adds a subtle sweetness when paired with cranberry, while orange juice or zest makes the dessert more citrusy.
In this recipe, I used orange juice to add a brighter flavor, but I’ve also made it with almond extract instead, and the result is still quite yummy. Feel free to experiment with flavorings or adding things such as chocolate chips or nuts to the dessert batter as well!
Of course, whatever dessert you make with the cranberries, it will always taste good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or topped with homemade whipped cream. 🙂
Is it better to bake with fresh or frozen cranberries?
If you have fresh cranberries, use them because they release less water when then bake than frozen cranberries. You can still use frozen cranberries if you like, but may need to add a bit more flour to soak up the excess water the cranberries will release when they are baked.
Tips for making this Cranberry Dessert
- Feel free to add other fun ingredients to the batter! Chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans, chocolate chips or white chocolate are all great additions to this dessert.
- The batter will be very thick, but this is ok! The cranberries release some water when they are baked, so the thick batter compensates for this change. If you follow the recipe, the dessert will actually turn out quite light and springy!
- If you need to make this recipe dairy-free, just swap in melted coconut oil for the butter.
- This dessert will last in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. For best results, heat it up slightly before serving it.
Tools you will need
To make this recipe, you need two mixing bowls, a whisk, spatula, and a 9″ or 9.5″ circular baking pan.
Ingredients you will need:
- 1 cup flour – All purpose works best but you could also use cake flour too!
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice – You can use fresh-squeezed or store bought, either works.
- 1/2 cup melted butter – To make this dairy-free, you can use melted coconut oil instead.
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 cups cranberries – They can be fresh or frozen. Dried cranberries will get a bit burnt if you try to bake them in this dessert, so try not to use those if you can.
How to make this Holiday Cranberry Dessert
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a convection setting on your oven, use that so that your dessert browns evenly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange juice, brown sugar, white sugar, and orange zest until well combined. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. The batter will be pretty thick.
Next, pour the melted butter into the batter and stir to combine. Finally, add the cranberries to the batter, folding with a spatula to disperse them evenly throughout the batter.
Spray a 9″ or 9.5″ circular baking pan with baking spray, or grease with more melted butter. Make sure to coat the bottom pretty thoroughly so your dessert will come out easily.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until a deep golden brown. It may look burnt, but as long as it is still springs back when you touch it, the dessert will be fine! (The brown sugar and orange juice make it turn a darker color.)
Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan.
Top with whipped cream and enjoy!
Looking for more festive treats?
If so, make sure to check out other yummy recipes from the Kitchen Counter! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Sourdough Chocolate Babka
- Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Sourdough Bread
If you make these this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.
Cranberry Dessert
This Cranberry Dessert makes a bright and flavorful holiday treat!
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 cups cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have a convection setting on your oven, use that so that your dessert browns evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange juice, brown sugar, white sugar, and orange zest until well combined. Set aside.
- In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. The batter will be pretty thick.
- Next, pour the melted butter into the batter and stir to combine.
- Finally, add the cranberries to the batter, folding with a spatula to disperse them evenly throughout the batter.
- Spray a 9" or 9.5" baking pan with baking spray, or grease with more melted butter. Make sure to coat the bottom pretty thoroughly so your dessert will come out easily.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until a deep golden brown. It may look burnt, but as long as it is still springs back when you touch it, the dessert will be fine! (The brown sugar and orange juice make it turn a darker color.)
- Let cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the pan.
- Top with whipped cream and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 183Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 51mgSodium 426mgCarbohydrates 25gFiber 1gSugar 15gProtein 2g
Linda K Hofstetter says
Hannah, the recipe looks delicious. I can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks for sharing! Linda
Hannah says
Let me know how it turns out! Hope you enjoy it!