Almond Cranberry Cake

Three slices of cranberry cake stacked on a grey plate.

A soft and moist almond cake filled with fresh cranberries and topped with a buttery almond streusel and almond icing. The perfect holiday cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 295kcal

Author Allison Mattina

Ingredients

Cake:

1 ⅔ cups (210g) all purpose flour spooned and leveled or weighed
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85g) softened unsalted butter OR 6 tablespoons (90ml) vegetable oil see note
⅔ cup (134g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons pure almond extract
⅔ cup (160g) sour cream room temperature
2 tablespoons milk
2 generous cups (204g) fresh cranberries

Almond topping:

3 tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter softened
⅓ cup (67g) granulated sugar
scant ¼ cup (28g) all purpose flour spooned into the measuring cup
⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract
½ cup (55g) sliced almonds

Icing:

½ cup (60g) powdered sugar
2-3 teaspoons milk
couple drops pure almond extract

Instructions

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9x9 square baking pan or an 8x11 baking pan (no smaller!) and set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter OR oil and sugar. If using butter this should take a minute or two. If using oil, just mix for about 30 seconds. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla extract 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.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Proceed with the 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 28-38 minutes (begin checking at 28 minutes), until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs, no raw batter. Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool.

Icing:

Whisk all icing ingredients. Adjust the consistency if needed by adding more powdered sugar to thicken or milk to thin. Drizzle over the top of the cake.

Video

Notes

Pan size:

Use a 9x9 or 8x11 pan for this recipe, do not try to squeeze it into a smaller pan. I prefer a metal pan because it bakes more evenly. If using a glass pan, bake time will likely be on the shorter end.

Butter/oil:

This cake can be made with butter or oil. I do notice that it stays moist longer when made with oil. If using butter, it should be room temperature so that it blends easily

Serving and storage:

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerated for up to 4 days, or frozen (double wrapped) for up to 3 months.

Recipe updated November 2025 with weight measurements, a few small tweaks, and more detailed instructions. Original recipe here.

Nutrition