Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake (Printable)

Tender cake bursting with fresh orange zest and tart cranberries for a cozy 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.
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 across the surface.
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, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving, if desired. Slice and enjoy.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together fast enough that you can start it on a whim and still have time to shower before anyone wakes up.
  • The cranberries stay just tart enough to keep it from feeling like dessert, even though it's sweet and tender.
  • It tastes even better the next day, which means you can bake it the night before and wake up to something that feels like a small luxury.
02 -
  • If you overmix the batter after adding the flour, the cake will turn out dense and chewy instead of tender.
  • Chopping the cranberries is essential, whole berries sink to the bottom and make the texture uneven.
  • Don't skip the ten-minute rest in the pan, I tried rushing it once and the cake crumbled apart when I flipped it.
03 -
  • Zest the orange directly over the bowl so the oils fall into the batter, that's where the most flavor lives.
  • Use frozen cranberries straight from the freezer, thawing them makes them soggy and harder to chop cleanly.
  • If the top is browning too fast, tent the pan loosely with foil halfway through baking.
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