Description
Cranberry orange layer cake brings festive winter flavors together in a delightful dessert that celebrates seasonal ingredients. Rich citrus notes and tart cranberry create a perfect balance, promising a memorable slice of holiday cheer for you.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients:
Main Baking Components:
- 3 cups (342g) cake flour
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, slightly softened
- 1 cup (242g) sour cream
Eggs and Liquid Ingredients:
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice (from 1 medium orange)
- 3 tablespoons orange zest (from 2–3 oranges)
Flavoring and Leavening Agents:
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (10g) orange extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 cup (90g) cranberries, sliced
Cranberry Filling Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (180g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (180g) water
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
- 3 sticks (339g) unsalted butter, softened
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat cream cheese
- 7 cups (805g) confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4g) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (4g) orange extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (2g) salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by greasing and dusting with flour. Carefully rinse and roughly chop fresh cranberries.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisking thoroughly to ensure even distribution of dry ingredients.
- Create a separate bowl for wet ingredients, blending sour cream, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and orange extract until smoothly integrated.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until achieving a light, fluffy consistency. Incorporate eggs individually, mixing well after each addition. Gradually alternate adding dry and wet mixtures to create a uniform batter. Gently fold chopped cranberries into the mixture.
- Evenly distribute batter among prepared cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean when cake is fully baked.
- Prepare cranberry filling by combining cranberries, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until berries burst and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Refrigerate filling to cool completely.
- For frosting, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Incorporate cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Add desired flavorings, then gradually blend in powdered sugar until achieving a silky, spreadable consistency.
Notes
- Rinse cranberries thoroughly to remove any debris and prevent sinking in the cake batter.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth blending and even cake texture.
- Gently fold cranberries into the batter to prevent breaking and maintain their structural integrity.
- Consider reducing sugar slightly if using tart cranberries to balance overall sweetness.
- For gluten-free option, substitute cake flour with gluten-free all-purpose flour blend and add xanthan gum.
- Zest oranges carefully to extract only the bright orange layer, avoiding bitter white pith.
- Allow cake to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting and sliding of cream cheese topping.
- Freeze extra cranberries when in season for future baking to maintain fresh flavor profile.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 468
- Sugar: 37 g
- Sodium: 276 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 61 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 82 mg