Almond Cranberry Cake

A soft and fluffy almond-flavored cake filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a buttery almond streusel. A delicious and comforting breakfast or dessert for the holiday season. 

You are looking at the reason I am currently stockpiling cranberries. You are also looking at the BEST thing to come out of my kitchen in weeks (months?).

A fluffy almond cake studded with fresh cranberries, topped with an almond streusel and drizzled with almond icing – like, I can barely write that without licking my computer screen. Gah! This is the cake for almond lovers! Pssst…If you love almond, you’ll go crazy for these Almond Croissants and Almond Cake, too.

Can this be breakfast? YES!

Can this be dessert? YES!

Should you make this and then invite me over to share it with you? Also, YES!

I am writing this post on a sugar high, nibbling bits of sugared almonds off the plate in front of me. I have consumed so many pieces of cake that I’m embarrassed to put the actual number on this page. Cake makes me happy, and I’m working on living my best holiday-life. ‘Tis the season!

Almond Cranberry Cake

• This cake starts with a soft and fluffy sour cream cake. The cake batter is flavored with vanilla and plenty of almond extract. The sour cream keeps it fluffy and moist, and keeps it from being too sweet.
• The cake batter is filled with beautiful fresh cranberries. 1 1/2 cups of cranberries add a pop of color and distinct tart flavor.
• The cake batter gets topped with a sweet and buttery almond crumble made from sliced almonds, butter, sugar, and flour.
• After baking, drizzle the cake with almond icing … and enjoy a big slice while it’s still warm.

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.

Can You Freeze Cranberry Cake?

You sure can, friends. I tightly wrapped leftover slices of this cake and they freeze beautifully. Bonus: You can freeze slices and thaw them everytime you need a sweet treat (read: every single day, if you’re me).

The combination of cranberry and almond is basically a match made heaven. I mean, after trying this I am basically giving the cranberry-orange combo the boot. CRANBERRY-ALMOND is where it’s at!

MORE CRANBERRY RECIPES: CRANBERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE – APPLE CIDER CRANBERRY SAUCE – APPLE CRANBERRY BREAD – CRANBERRY BLISS BARS – CRANBERRY SALAD

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Almond Cranberry Cake

A soft and fluffy almond-flavored cake filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a buttery almond streusel. A delicious and comforting breakfast or dessert for the holiday season. 

4.82 from 16 votes

Print Pin

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Dessert

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour*
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
• 2/3 cup sour cream thick sour cream is best
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

Almond Topping:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Icing:

• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 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 2/3 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 9x9** square 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 25-30 minutes, 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.

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 needs to be made in a 9x9 square baking pan, NOT an 8x8 pan. This cake is thick and it will take way too long to bake in an 8x8. If you don't have a 9x9, you can try an 8x11 (likely reducing the bake time by a couple minutes).

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

Tried this recipe?Mention @CelebratingSweets or tag #CelebratingSweets!