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Orange Cranberry Cake

Close up of frosted three layer orange cranberry cake topped with fresh rosemary, slices of oranges and sugared cranberries.
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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Claire Coffey
  • Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Cook Time: 33 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
  • Yield: 16 slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

Orange cranberry cake:

  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 (210g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) fresh cranberries

Filling and frosting:

  • 1/3 cup cranberry compote
  • 1 cup (112g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups (240g) powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Cranberry orange cake:

  1. Wash and dry the cranberries, and grease and line the bottom of three 6" round cake pans.
  2. Massage the orange zest and granulated sugar together for 1-2 minutes to release the oils.
  3. With the mixer on medium, cream the butter and sugar/zest until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  4. Reduce the mixer to low and beat in the eggs one at a time until combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
  5. Stir together the remaining dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) in one bowl and wet ingredients (orange juice, milk, sour cream and vanilla) in another.
  6. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients in two parts alternating with the wet ingredients in one part. Mix until just combined.
  7. Fold the cranberries into the cake batter. Evenly divide the cake batter between the three cake pans.
  8. Bake at 350F or 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only cooked crumbs.
  9. Once the pans are cool enough to handle, turn the cakes out onto plastic wrap, wrap tightly and refrigerate until you're ready to use them.

Orange buttercream:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and orange zest and beat until smooth and lightened in color (about 5-6 minutes).
  2. Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated. Increase to medium-high and continue beating until smooth and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
  3. Add the vanilla extract and orange juice and beat until combined. If the frosting is thicker than you'd like, add 1-2 tablespoons of milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Assembly:

  1. Place the first layer on a flat plate and cover with ¼" of frosting. 
  2. Use an offset spatula or large spoon to remove a shallow layer of frosting from the center of the cake leaving about ½" barrier around the edges (to keep the compote in).
  3. Spoon half of the compote into this area and cover with the next layer of cake. Repeat for the second layer.
  4. Top with the final layer, and spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake. Garnish with fruit and cake-safe flowers.

Notes

    • Even layers: The easiest way to get even cake layers is to weigh your batter. For this recipe, you'll need approximately 300g of batter for each 6" layer.
    • Chill your cake: Cool cake layers are easier to handle and cut/level.
    • Compote: This cake is naturally on the tarter side, so a little bit of compote between the layers will go a long way.
    • How to smoothly frost a cake: If you want that perfectly smooth finish, check out my guide to frosting cakes.
    • Storage: Once frosted, this cake should be kept in the refrigerator and is best when eaten within three days.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thesimple-sweetlife.com/orange-cranberry-cake/