This Cranberry Breakfast Cake is the perfect breakfast, snack or dessert for the holidays. Fresh cranberries and almond extract are such a great pair for this soft, tender, and delicious cake.
The holidays are a busy time of year, so having a few staple recipes you can make in no time if you have a house full of people are a must! This breakfast cake is definitely fitting for breakfast or brunch, but can also work for an afternoon snack or even dessert.
This is based off of my Blueberry Breakfast Cake that has been on my site since 2012, but for this I used fresh cranberries. You really could use most fruits or berries in this recipe. Cranberries just make it festive for the holidays!
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Breakfast Cake
- Fresh Cranberries – this is a great use of fresh cranberries. You can use frozen if you are making it out of season, but we all seem to have an extra bag sitting in our fridge this time of year, so this is a great use for it!
- Easy – I am all about easy, and this cake has no layers, a mixer does all the work to bring the batter together, and then it bakes in a single 8-inch baking pan.
- Multipurpose – Yes, it is called cake, which implies dessert. But it is one of those, like a Coffee Cake that you really could serve for breakfast, brunch, snack time with a cup of coffee or break out for dessert. Very versatile and you are going to be making it again and again.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card to get the measurements and full instructions!
- Butter – you want room temperature butter, I always bake with unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Cranberries
- Vanilla Yogurt – buttermilk works as well
How To Make Cranberry Breakfast Cake
- Mix Wet Ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together until it is nice and fluffy. Beat in egg, and both extracts until everything is fully incorporated.
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the cranberries with 1/4 cup flour, tossing to fully coat.
- Combine. Add remaining flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture. Stir in the yogurt until well combined.
- Add Berries. Using a spatula, gently fold in the cranberries and the flour until they are evenly distributed.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. It will be a little sticky. If you get your hand damp, you can use them to evenly spread out the dough. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the batter.
- Bake. Place pan in the hot oven and bake until the cake starts to turn golden brown and a tester comes out mostly clean. Remove and let it cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Pull out your butter to soften the night before, or soften it carefully in the microwave (you don’t want to melt it!).
- Prepare your baking pan before you start mixing, so it’s ready when your batter is.
- For even more crunch on top, try sprinkling with coarse sanding sugar instead of regular sugar.
Can I Use Frozen Cranberries
I like fresh cranberries better, but frozen berries work as well. I think it works best to thaw them first, so they don’t “bleed” quite as much. It is super easy to just leave them out overnight in the fridge, or put the bag under cold running water until they’re ready. Drain off the excess liquid and pat the berries dry with a paper towel before tossing with the flour and adding to the recipe.
Storage
Store leftover cranberry breakfast cake in an airtight container for 2-3 days. It does not need to be placed in the fridge, but it will last an extra day if you do store it chilled. You can reheat in the microwave if you want a warmed slice of cake.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Total Time
55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup + 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (or buttermilk)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. Prepare a 9 in baking pan with parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray.
- In an electric mixer, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract until the egg is fully incorporated
- In a separate bowl combine the cranberries with 1/4 cup flour, tossing to fully coat.
- Add remaining flour, baking powder and salt to the butter mixture. Stir in the yogurt until well combined.
- Using a spatula fold in the cranberries until evenly distributed
- Pour batter into prepared pan. It will be a little sticky. If you get your hand damp, you can use them to evenly spread out the dough. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake starts to turn golden brown. A toothpick inserted should come out clean when done.
- Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
9
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 230Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 48mgSodium 442mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 4g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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