Combining the refreshing flavors of the citrus with a tart cranberry sauce, this citrus cranberry cake is a delicious twist to the classic holiday desserts!
Today we’re breaking the traditional, just a little bit. Don’t get me wrong, I still love chocolate and peppermint, but a change is good.
Who says a cake has to be round? No one!
Who says a Christmas dessert can’t be a citrus cranberry cake? No one!
Exactly my point! Thank you!
Few weeks ago I got home from the grocery store some beautiful mandarins. After eating like half of them (maybe more) I thought about making a citrus dessert, but wasn’t quite sure what so I poured myself a cup of tea and start thumbing some of my cookbooks until I got to one old collection of holiday recipes from Better Homes and Gardens. Coconut Cranberry Torte.
I know, what’s that got to do with Citrus Cranberry Cake, you may ask. Well except leaving the coconut out, I pretty much kept the recipe and added some more citrus to the cake and on top of the cake.
The cake is a little bit of work, but what layer cake comes together in a jiffy?
First you have to bake the layers in a jelly roll pan. Once the cake is baked the fun begins. With a little patience and a measuring tape you cut the cake in three rectangles and sandwich them with the cranberry sauce you made while waiting for the cake to bake.
Last you dress the cake with a little bit of icing and freshly cut mandarin slices.
The cake turned out amazing!
It’s light and the citrus touch makes it so refreshing! The tart cranberry sauce layers turn this cake into a mouthful of flavors.
The top layer is flooded with the icing and the longer it stays, the juices from the mandarin slices get sucked into the cake making it even more irresistible.
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Roxana
Yields one 5X10 inch layer cake
Combining the refreshing flavors of the citrus with a tart cranberry sauce, this citrus cranberry cake is a delicious twist to the classic holiday desserts!
30 minPrep Time
30 minCook Time
1 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 3/4 cup (168 grams) butter, room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups (350 grams) sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- 2 1/2 cups (300 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 12 oz (336 grams) fresh cranberries
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup powder sugar
- 2 teaspoons water
- few drops of lemon juice
- mandarin slices
- powder sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375F.
- Grease the bottom and the sides of a 15X10 inches jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer add the butter and sugar. With the paddle attachment on, cream until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and one by one, add the eggs followed by the orange extract.
- Add the baking powder and salt and slowly fold in the flour alternately with the milk and orange juice.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for about 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the cranberry sauce.
- In a medium saucepan add the cranberries, sugar and orange juice. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until all the cranberries have popped and the sauce is thickened.
- Leave to cool completely.
- When the citrus cake is done, take it out of the oven and leave to cool 10 minutes in the pan. Sprinkle powder sugar on top of the cake, cover with a cutting board and turn. This way you'll be able to remove the cake form the pan without breaking it into pieces or sticking to the cutting board.
- Cool the cake completely.
- Remove the parchment paper, trim the edges and slice the cake in 3 slices (about 4 3/4 inch each slice).
- Place the first slice on the serving plate. Spoon half on the cranberry sauce on top of the cake and spread it all over.
- Top with a second slice of cake and spread the remaining cranberry sauce.
- Place the 3rd slice of cake on top and let sit for 10-15 minutes. You can refrigerate at this point, if you prefer.
- Now it's time to make the icing.
- In a small bowl mix the powder sugar with the water and the lemon juice. You want the icing to be still pour-able but not too runny.
- Pour it over the cake, wait few minutes until it sets and decorate with the mandarin slices.
- Optional you can sprinkle some powder sugar.
- Slice and enjoy!
Post slightly updated from December 2012.
If you enjoyed this Citrus cranberry cake, you may also like
No bake cranberry cheesecake pie
Happy baking,
Roxana
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