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.
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.
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Recipe overview
Cake: The base of this cake is an almond-flavored cake that is soft and moist and filled with fresh cranberries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Recipe
Almond Cranberry Cake
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
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Kathy D
Hi. Can I substitute the almond extract? I would like to make this for work but am always concerned with it allergies. Look forward to trying it ☺️ Thank you
Allison
Hi, Kathy. You can double the vanilla. You can also try adding a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest into the batter, if that sounds good. Enjoy!
Kathy
Can you use frozen cranberries can’t wait to try the recipe
Allison
That should be fine. You’ll likely need to add a couple minutes to the bake time. Enjoy!
Tania
Hi
I want to make this but can I use dry cranberries instead of fresh ones.
Allison
That should work. I would watch the bake time closely, since there is no extra moisture from fresh cranberries it might bake a little faster. Enjoy!
Samantha Roberts
We just made it as described and it was delicious. I was wondering if you think it would work to use almond flour instead of all purpose? Would you still need the almond extract?
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it. No, you cannot swap almond flour for the all purpose flour. You need the structure from the all purpose flour. Almond flour is just ground up almonds. You can try a cup-for-cup gluten free flour blend if you’re looking for gf alternative.
Fabi
I used 1 full cup of all purpose and half of almond flour, it worked, and tested dellicious
cindy a roundtree
Love this cake! Thank s for the recipe!
Allison
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
Denise
Although not recommended, I baked this recipe in a 8×8 square pan (stainless steel). I had to bake it a bit longer than the recipe states, so I baked at 350 for 30 min and about 10 min at 325. Came out beautifully and family loved it! Definitely a “Keeper”.
Allison
I’m glad that worked for you. Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂 Happy baking!
Grace
Hey!
I was wondering if you think this recipe would work as cupcakes/muffins? How would you adjust the temp and time?
Allison
Yes, that should work. Oven temp will be the same, I would begin checking the cupcakes/muffins after 15 minutes, then every few minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Enjoy!
LUCY
It is a favorite for the entire family. I have been asked for the recipe over and over again
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Barbara Wojtach
Great coffee cake. Very tasty!!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Jeanette
This cake is a wonderful combination of flavors. Everyone wants the recipe. So easy and instructions leave no room for mistakes. The cake is so light and fluffy. I am so impressed. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!!!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂