Cranberry Coffee Cake is a moist, buttery cake with fresh cranberries, and a cinnamon crumble topping, drizzled with a sweet glaze. I love the tangy taste of the cranberries in contrast to the soft, slightly sweet cake. And, I am a sucker for any dessert with a crumble topping! Grab a piece for a quick breakfast with a cup of coffee, for an afternoon treat, or serve it as dessert! If you are a fan of this cranberry coffee cake, you will love my Raspberry Coffee Cake, too!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Cranberries: Fresh cranberries add a tartness to each bite of cake. If you don’t have fresh berries, use frozen cranberries–no need to thaw first.
- Butter: For the rich, tender texture of the cake, I used 2 sticks of unsalted butter. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the amount of salt.
- Sugar: Get out three kinds of sugar–granulated, light brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar). Granulated sugar is used in the cake. The brown sugar gives the crumble topping a warm, caramel-like flavor. And, the confectioners’ sugar is used in the sweet glaze.
- Oil: Vegetable oil (or canola oil) helps give the cake a moist texture. I can’t argue with that!
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a comforting spice to the crumble topping.
Best Fruit Substitutes For Cranberry Coffee Cake
If you don’t have cranberries, try the coffee cake with different fruit! If you love blueberries, I already have a blueberry coffee cake you will want to try! Other fruits that would be delicious are apple chunks, cherries, or peaches, just to name a few! Let me know what your favorite is!
Can I Make Cranberry Coffee Cake Ahead Of Time?
Sure! In fact, I love this coffee cake, even more, the next day! Once baked, let it cool completely, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It can be kept at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also get the batter prepared (without the cranberries and crumble) the night before and refrigerate it. When you’re ready to bake, fold in the cranberries, top with the crumble, and bake as directed.
How To Store Cranberry Coffee Cake
If you are planning to eat the coffee cake within 2-3 days, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. You could also store it in the refrigerator for a few extra days, but that might dry out the cake faster. For longer storage, freeze the coffee cake.
How To Freeze Cranberry Coffee Cake
To freeze cranberry coffee cake:
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap to keep it fresh.
- Then, wrap it in aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Label it with the date and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you’re ready to eat it, just take it out and let it thaw at room temperature for a few hours. You can also warm it up in the microwave!
Cranberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups (200 g) fresh cranberries
Crumble
- ⅓ cup (67 g) brown sugar
- ¼ cup (31 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold
Glaze
- 1 cup (125 g) confectioners' sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each addition. Then add the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract, mixing on low speed until just combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
- Remove bowl from mixer. Fold in cranberries.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly. Set aside while you prepare the crumble.
Crumble
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon.
- Add the cold butter pieces. Using a food processor, fork, or your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized bits of butter.
- Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the cake batter.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Glaze
- In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth. Add a few more drops of milk if needed to reach a drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle the glaze over the warm cake. Slice and serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
This cranberry coffee cake is so yummy! It’s soft and moist, and the cranberries add a nice tart flavor that balances out the sweetness. And, the crumble topping is my favorite!
Elizabeth
I love coffee cake, and I even loved it with the cranberries! It gave the cake a nice burst of color, too. I think this would be great for the holidays!
Annabelle
I’m not usually a fan of cranberries, but I gave this coffee cake a try because it looked so good. While I still don’t love the cranberries, the cake itself was really tasty.
Bella
I loved this! The cranberries gave it a festive look and a nice burst of flavor. The cake is light and fluffy, and the glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness.
Selena
The texture of this coffee cake is amazing, and the cranberries give it a nice pop of flavor. It’s not too sweet, but just sweet enough. Plus, the glaze makes it even better.
