Description
A moist and flavorful Cranberry Pecan Cake featuring a tender crumb, tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and a spiced crumb topping, with an optional sweet vanilla icing drizzle.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk or orange juice, at room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
- 2/3 cup (90g) roughly chopped pecans
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed dark or light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 2/3 cup (90g) roughly chopped pecans
Icing (Optional)
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) milk, heavy cream, or orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (skip if using orange juice)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 2-quart baking dish well to ensure the cake doesn’t stick during baking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes until creamy and well combined.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Then beat in the vanilla extract and the sour cream. Scrape down the bowl’s sides and bottom as needed, beating again until combined. The batter may look curdled, which is normal.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry flour mixture and the milk or orange juice. Beat gently until just smooth and combined, being careful not to overmix as the batter will be thick.
- Fold in Cranberries and Pecans: Using a spatula, fold in the fresh or frozen cranberries and roughly chopped pecans evenly into the batter.
- Spread Batter in Pan: Transfer and spread the batter evenly into the prepared greased 2-quart baking dish.
- Make Crumb Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, all-purpose flour, and ground cinnamon. Cut in the cold cubed butter using a pastry blender, fork, or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Add Crumb Topping to Cake: Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping mixture over the cake batter in the pan.
- Bake the Cake: Place the cake in the preheated oven and bake for 55 minutes. Oven times vary depending on the pan type; check doneness by ensuring the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
- Cool the Cake: Remove the baked cake from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10-15 minutes before icing or slicing.
- Prepare Icing: While the cake cools slightly, whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk (or heavy cream/orange juice), and vanilla extract (omit if using orange juice) together until smooth. Add extra liquid to thin if needed.
- Ice and Serve: Drizzle the icing over the warm cake. Slice into portions and serve warm or at room temperature.
- Store Leftovers: Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerate for up to 5 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Bake as directed, cool completely, and freeze the cake (with or without icing) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving or warm it at 300°F (149°C) for 15 minutes. Add icing if plain before serving.
- Baking Pan Recommendations: Use a baking dish that holds 2 quarts such as a 9-inch square baking dish, a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan, or an 11×7-inch pan. Avoid 9-inch round cake pans as the batter rises unevenly and can affect baking.
- Sour Cream Substitute: Plain regular or Greek yogurt can substitute for sour cream, but liquid substitutions are not recommended.
- Cranberries: If using dried cranberries instead of fresh or frozen, reduce quantity to 1 cup (140g).
- Icing Option: The icing is optional. You may omit it entirely or dust the warm cake with confectioners’ sugar using a fine mesh sieve for a simpler finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
