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Home » Cake & Cupcakes » Almond Cranberry Cake

Almond Cranberry Cake

Published: Nov 20, 2021 · Modified: Nov 20, 2021 by Allison · 82 Comments

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A soft and moist almond flavored cake filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a sweet almond streusel. A delicious breakfast or dessert for the holiday season. Choose between two pan sizes and whip up this incredible cake anytime you choose.

Stack of slices of cranberry cake on a grey plate

Get ready to sink your teeth into the very best Cranberry Cake! The combination of almond and cranberry is a match made in heaven! This soft almond cake is studded with fresh cranberries, topped with an almond streusel, and drizzled with almond icing.

Jump to:
  • Recipe overview
  • Why you’ll love this recipe
  • Ingredient spotlight: almond extract
  • Pan size options
  • Can you freeze cranberry cake?
  • More cranberry recipes
  • Recipe

Recipe overview

Cake: The base of this cake is an almond-flavored cake that is soft and moist and filled with fresh cranberries.

How to make cranberry cake: cake batter in a glass bowl and in a baking dish.

Topping: An almond streusel topping gets sprinkled on top of the cake before baking. This crumb topping adds a sweet almond crunch to every bite.

Almond streusel in a white bowl.

Bake: Bake this cake in a 9×9 or 8×11 pan for 30-40 minutes.

Icing: After cooling, drizzle the cake with an almond icing made from powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Texture: Thanks to the butter/sugar creaming technique as well as the addition of sour cream this cake bakes up ultra soft and moist. The crunchy almond topping contrasts wonderfully with the tender cake. 

Flavor: The combination of sweet almond and tart cranberry is incredible! 

Versatility: This cake can be served for breakfast alongside a cup of coffee or tea. It can also be dessert, topped with a dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Almond cranberry cake in a metal baking pan.

Ingredient spotlight: almond extract

Aside from the cranberries, almond extract is the star of this recipe. It adds the perfect almond flavor to every layer (cake, topping, AND icing). Be sure to use pure almond extract, not imitation, for the best flavor. Almond extract is much stronger than vanilla extract, so use it sparingly.

More almond recipes: Almond Cake, Almond Croissants, Almond Cherry Crumb Bars.

Recipe tips

Butter should be room temperature so that it blends easily. 

Use thick sour cream (full fat or low fat) so that the batter isn’t too thin. Daisy brand is my favorite.

Don’t overmix. In order to keep the cake light and tender make sure to mix the cake batter until just combined.

Stir in the cranberries by hand (using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon). This ensures that they don’t get broken up by the mixer.

Don’t overbake. As you approach the end of bake time watch the cake closely, pull it out of the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Slice of cranberry cake on a plate with a gold fork.

Pan size options

This recipe can be made in a 9×9 square baking pan or an 8×11 rectangle baking pan. 

9×9: This makes a slightly thicker cake. It will take a little longer to bake than the 8×11 pan.

8×11: This is my preferred pan size. The cake is thick, but not too thick. It bakes a few minutes faster than the 9×9.

Do NOT try to squeeze this batter into an 8×8 pan. There will be too much batter and the edges will dry out before the center is cooked through.

Can you freeze cranberry cake?

Yes. Double wrap leftover slices of this cake and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw a slice anytime you need a sweet treat.

More cranberry recipes

  • CRANBERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
  • APPLE CIDER CRANBERRY SAUCE
  • APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD 
  • CRANBERRY BLISS BARS
  • CRANBERRY SALAD

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Recipe

Stack of slices of cranberry cake on a grey plate.

Almond Cranberry Cake

A soft and moist almond flavored cake filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a sweet almond streusel. A delicious breakfast or dessert for the holiday season. 
4.91 from 33 votes
Print Pin
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 295kcal
Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour*
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons almond extract
  • ⅔ cup sour cream, thick sour cream is best
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 scant cups fresh cranberries

Almond topping:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup sliced almonds

Icing:

  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons milk
  • drop almond extract

Instructions

Cake:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  • Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 6 tablespoons butter and ⅔ cup sugar for several minutes, until creamy and well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat until just combined. Add the sour cream and 2 tablespoons milk, beating until combined. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients. Add the cranberries and use a rubber spatula to gently fold them into the batter.
  • Grease a 9×9 square baking pan or 8×11 rectangle baking pan**. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Make topping.

Topping:

  • Combine butter, sugar, flour, and almond extract. Use a fork to stir and mash the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the sliced almonds and mix until combined. Sprinkle the topping over the top of the cake batter. Bake for 30-40 minutes (begin checking at 30 minutes, see note), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool. 

Icing:

  • Whisk all icing ingredients. Adjust the consistency as necessary by adding more powdered sugar or milk. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Video

Notes

*To properly measure flour, fluff the flour with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion, then level it off with the back of a knife. 
**This recipe can be made in a 9×9 square baking pan or an 8×11 rectangle baking pan. 
9×9: This makes a slightly thicker cake. It will take approximately 35-40 minutes to bake. Begin checking it around 30minutes. Tent with foil if it starts to get dark. It should be golden around the edges.
8×11: This is my preferred pan size. Bake time is closer to 30-35 minutes.
Do NOT try to squeeze this batter into an 8×8 pan. There will be too much batter and the edges will dry out before the center is cooked through.

Nutrition

Calories: 295kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 145mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 1.8mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1.3mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Christina G

    November 21, 2021 at 1:23 pm

    5 stars
    This cake is really good! You take a bite and you get a pop of tartness from the cranberries. Yum! I didn’t have almond slices so I used slivers. I did toast them before putting them in the topping. It gives it a better, nutty flavor. This is definitely a keeper.

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 22, 2021 at 5:53 am

      I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Mickie

    November 27, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    5 stars
    I used a Bundt pan and it took 60 minutes to bake. This cake is delicious!!!

    Reply
    • Rebekah

      December 17, 2021 at 4:57 pm

      Just wondering…when you used the Bundt pan, what did you do with the topping? Put it at the bottom then the cake batter on top?

      Reply
  3. Diane

    November 28, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    This recipe looks amazing, and my mouth is watering just thinking of it!
    Can frozen cranberries be used for this recipe?

    Reply
    • Allison

      November 30, 2021 at 7:47 am

      Yes. You might just need to add a couple minutes to the bake time. Enjoy!

      Reply
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aboutHi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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