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This orange cranberry cake is bursting with refreshing orange flavor, studded with fresh cranberries, and covered in a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Made in one bowl, it bakes in just 30 minutes.
Love simple cake recipes? Try my easiest vanilla cake, espresso cake, and death by chocolate cake next.
Cranberries and oranges must be one of my favorite flavor combinations ever. Whether in cranberry sauce, cranberry orange atmeal cookies, or this cake, it’s guaranteed to win me over.
My orange cranberry cake recipe is such a simple yet elegant dessert PERFECT for the holiday season (and a welcome addition to the boring Christmas pudding). It’s a richer and fluffier spin on my orange cake, with the addition of cranberries!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Made with no eggs. And if you use plant-based cream cheese and gluten-free flour, it’s completely vegan and gluten-free as well.
- An easy dessert. Baking this cake is no different than a simple yellow cake, but with a few extra ingredients, it’s in a league of its own.
- One bowl. That means that cleanup is a breeze, too.
- It’s quick. Unlike other cake recipes, this cake bakes up in under 30 minutes. The longest part is waiting for it to cool so you can frost it.
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour. Sift your flour very well to ensure there are no clumps. See my tips below for a gluten-free option.
- Sugar. I used white sugar, but you can also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, or a combination of them all. Be wary, though; using brown or coconut sugar will yield a darker cake.
- Baking soda. Gives the cake some rise and fluffiness. It also reacts with the vinegar to hold the cake together (without needing any actual eggs).
- Salt. A pinch to bring out the sweetness of all the ingredients.
- Oil. For moisture and to bind the ingredients. I used vegetable oil, but any neutral-flavored oil will work.
- Vanilla extract. Every good cake needs a touch of vanilla in it.
- Vinegar. White or apple cider vinegar. Do not use red wine or rice malt vinegar, or else your cake will be inedible.
- Water. Mix everything together.
- Orange juice. Adds some delicious sweet orange flavor!
- Cranberries. Fresh or frozen cranberries will work equally as well.
- Cream cheese frosting. I made my own with softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk, but storebought frosting will also work.
How to make an orange cranberry cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make batter. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold through the cranberries.
Step 2- Bake. Pour the cake batter into the greased cake pan. Bake the cake for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out ‘just’ clean.
Step 3- Cool and frost. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before transferring to a wire rack to frost.
Recipe tips and variations
- Make a layered cake. Just double or triple the ingredients. If you go this route, I recommend filling the middle layers with orange marmalade.
- Don’t thaw frozen cranberries. Believe it or not, thawing frozen cranberries gives them a similar flavor and texture to dried cranberries, which will dry out the cake. Just lightly fold the frozen berries directly into the cake batter.
- Coat the cranberries in flour. So they don’t sink to the bottom of the pan.
- Amplify the orange flavor. If you’re after a stronger orange flavor, swap the water for more orange juice and add orange zest.
- Garnish. When I want the cake to make a grand appearance, I’ll garnish it with sugared cranberries and candied orange slices.
- Make orange cream cheese frosting. Use orange juice to thin out the cream cheese and fold in orange zest.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftover cake should always be stored in the refrigerator, covered. The cake will keep well for at least a week, and be sure to let the refrigerated cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before enjoying.
To freeze: Place slices of cake in a freezer friendly container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. The cake must be thawed completely. Do not microwave it from a frozen state, or it will crumble and dry out.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, dried cranberries can be used in place of fresh cranberries, but you’ll want to soak them in water or juice for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate them, and only use ¾ cup of dried cranberries as opposed to fresh.
More holiday desserts to try
Cranberry Orange Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten free, if needed
- 1 cup sugar I used white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 tablespoon oil I used vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- 1 cup cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 180C/350F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt, and mix well. Add in the vinegar, vanilla extract, oil, water, and orange juice, and mix until combined. Fold through your cranberries.
- Transfer the cake batter into the greased cake pan. Bake the cake for 25-27 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
- Let the cake cool completely, before frosting.
This is an awesome recipe, I only added orange zest. Everyone loved it, no one new it was vegan!!! Very moist and fluffy!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I just made this cake and its absolutely delicious!! So light and moist, great flavor! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!