There’s something wonderfully easy about a coffee cake that feels festive without fuss. Tart cranberries, a soft, tender crumb and a little citrus brightness make this one perfect for a holiday luncheon or a relaxed Christmas morning brunch. Better still, you can make it ahead — bake it the day before, let the flavours settle, and serve it alongside your favourite mugs of coffee or tea. It's also lovely alongside a wee tipple of Grand Marnier or Amaretto.
Why We Love It
- This cranberry coffee cake hits all the marks for holiday entertaining:
- Festive but not fussy — bright cranberries and a tender crumb that everyone loves.
- Make-ahead friendly — it tastes even better the next day and keeps beautifully.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake
560 mL (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
2 mL (½ tsp) baking soda
2 mL (½ tsp) salt
250 mL (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
430 mL (1¾ cups) cane sugar
3 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
10 mL (2 tsp) pure vanilla extract
250 mL (1 cup) sour cream or Greek-style yogourt
250 mL (1 cup) cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought; room temperature)
For the glaze
250 mL (1 cup) icing sugar
30 mL (2 Tbsp) fresh lemon juice (or milk)
2 mL (½ tsp) vanilla extract (optional)
METHOD
Prep your pan: Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F). Grease and lightly flour a 2.5-L (10-cup) bundt pan or a similar size loaf tin.
Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Cream butter and sugar: In a larger bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and flavour: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then mix in the lemon zest and vanilla.
Build the batter: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the sour cream on low speed, mixing just until combined.
Layer in the pan: Spoon half the batter into the prepared pan, add the cranberry sauce in dollops, then top with the remaining batter.
Bake: Place in the oven and bake for 55–60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean. If the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with foil partway through.
Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Glaze: Whisk together the icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla, then drizzle over the cooled cake. If you're feeling fancy, decorate the top with sugared cranberries and slices of lemon. Little sprigs or rosemary also look fabulous.
Make-Ahead Notes
Refrigerate: Once the cake is fully cool, wrap it tightly and refrigerate up to 2 days before serving. This mellows the flavours and makes slicing neat and easy.
Freeze: You can also freeze slices wrapped individually for up to 3 months — just thaw at room temperature before serving.