Cranberry Christmas Cake
This Cranberry Christmas Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce is an easy cranberry dessert that combines the rich flavors of moist cake, tart cranberries, and hints of warm spices.
This cranberry cake is out of this world, and each time I serve it, my guests bombard me with requests for the recipe.
Cranberry Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce Recipe
This cake is seriously impressive; just looking at it makes my mouth water.
We like to let our guests cut their slices, then pour the warm vanilla sauce right over the top, using as much or as little as they prefer.
Save this Recipe
Enter your email address and we will send you this recipe to your mailbox for easy reference! Plus, we will send you our latest recipes every week!
Christmas Canberry Pound Cake
Everybody loves a super moist, rich, dense cake that’s easy to make, right? Well, that cake is this one!
I love how beautiful this cake is, as well. You could serve this cake anytime, but it looks like a special Christmas dessert when you make it using fresh cranberries.
The warm sauce seals the deal. Talk about putting this Cranberry Christmas Cake right over the moon!
I love how this cake can be customized according to the season you want to bake it. In the Spring, I like to make it using strawberries.
For summer, I switch to blueberries. Sometimes I even add a bit of lemon juice and zest to the sauce when I make Spring and Summer cakes.
How to Make Cranberry Coffee Cake
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the melted butter and sugar until well blended, then beat in the eggs.
Alternately add the milk and the dry ingredients, beating after each addition; fold in the fresh cranberries. Transfer the prepared cake batter to a greased 9×13-inch baking pan.
Bake the cake, uncovered, on the center rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, letting it cool slightly.
Can I add dried cranberries to the cake mix?
Fresh or frozen cranberries for this cake will always be the best option, but sometimes they aren’t available.
To use dried cranberries, place them in a bowl. Adding just enough orange juice to cover them.
Place the bowl into the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Let the cranberries rest to absorb the orange juice that will hydrate them. This will help them to plump up somewhat.
From here, drain and use the cranberries as directed in the recipe.
You can toss the fresh cranberries into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to a year.
If you especially enjoy this cake made with cranberries, stock up on fresh cranberries throughout the holiday season during November and December.
Make the Warm Vanilla Sauce
In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients over medium-high heat.
When the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium, simmering for 10-12 minutes, whisking constantly, making sure the sauce doesn’t boil over.
Remove the sauce from the heat, letting it cool so it can thicken.
Ensure the cranberry pound cake is moist and luscious
Don’t overbake the cake. Overbaking can cause your cake to be dry and crumbly.
Bake the cake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
I’ve heard that covering a hot cake with foil is a secret technique. Is this true?
Yep, and it WORKS…..like a charm! My Grandma Lucille taught me this trick. The foil keeps all the heat contained, and the condensation goes back into your cake.
Cover the cake with the foil until completely cooled, then serve as desired. Since this cake also has a vanilla sauce, pour the sauce over the hot cake, then cover it with foil to cool.
To serve this Christmas cake with cranberries to a crowd
If you plan to serve this cake to a large group of people who will eat most of it in one sitting, pour the sauce over it immediately after it comes out of the oven.
This will ensure the cake has a very moist and rich texture since the sauce will seal in all the residual heat and moisture from the hot cake.
Once the sauce has been poured over the entire cake, you’ll want to eat it within 2-3 hours; following that time frame, the cake can become too soggy.
But what if you’re serving this cake to one guest at a time?
If your guests eat this cake a few pieces at a time, say throughout the afternoon or evening at their leisure, keep the sauce warm in a separate small pitcher or saucepan.
Then the guests can pour it over their a piece of cake whenever they are ready to eat it.
Does the flour need to be sifted when I make this cake? That’s just more work!
I know it’s another step for the recipe, but it’s WORTH it! Be sure to sift the flour before you measure it and add it to the other ingredients.
Sifting the flour keeps the texture of the cake nice and light. I use a fine mesh colander to sift it into a bowl, then carefully measure what I need from the bowl.
Can This Cake Be Made in a Bundt Pan instead of a 9×13 Pan?
I tested it to be sure and was excited to learn it can be done, and I think it looks pretty as a bundt cake.
To make this follow the instructions as above for making the cake batter. Spray a bundt pan well with non-stick spray, then spoon the prepared cake batter into the greased pan.
Bake the cake, uncovered, on the center rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, letting it cool completely. When the cake is fully cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges of the bundt cake, flip the cake pan over onto a cake stand or serving platter, then remove the bundt pan. Serve the slices of bundt cake with the warm vanilla sauce.
How to Customize This Cake
Customize this cake by swapping the cranberries for other berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries. Even chopped strawberries are delicious in this cake.
You can also easily customize the sauce for this cake! Once you remove the sauce from the heat, make a bourbon sauce by omitting the vanilla extract, adding a bit of bourbon instead.
I usually add about one tablespoon.
Other Favorite Cake Recipes to Enjoy –
My family is cake crazy, and we especially enjoy 9×13-inch cakes since they are easy to make, serve many people, and travel well for gatherings and covered-dish meals.
One of our favorite 9×13-inch cakes is the White Chocolate Strawberry Poke Cake and we are also in love with Honey Bun Cake!
We are also fans of angel food cakes! These Strawberry Lemon-Lave Angel Cakes make very pretty individual desserts for your guests, and who doesn’t adore a light and airy Angel Food Cake with Citrus Glaze?
When my gang is in the mood for some DARK CHOCOLATE, I make these easy (made from a box mix!) Neapolitan Cheesecake Brownies .
Another great crowd-pleaser is No-Bake Chocolate Butterfinger Pie. And when the cooler weather of Autumn rolls around, Golden S’mores Cookie Bars really hit the spot, too.
- Amazing Instant Pot Apple Cake with Rum Sauce
- White Chocolate Strawberry Poke Cake
- Strawberry Lemon-Lava Angel Cakes
- Honey Bun Cake
- Glazed Cherry Coffee Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two
- Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pound Cake
- Berry Good No-Bake Cake
- How to Make Tender and Moist White Cake
Cranberry Butter Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups fresh cranberries
For the Vanilla Sauce
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract, if using bourbon instead of vanilla, I typically add 1 Tbs. bourbon
Instructions
Make the Cranberry Butter Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
- Sift the flour into a mixing bowl; gently stir in the baking powder and salt.In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the melted butter and sugar until well blended. Add the eggs, beating again.
- Alternately add the milk and the dry ingredients, beating after each addition. Using a spatula, fold in the fresh cranberries.
- Transfer the prepared cake batter to the prepared baking pan, smoothing the batter.
- Bake the cake, uncovered, on the center rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, letting it cool slightly.
To Make Cranberry Butter Cake in a Bundt Pan
- Follow the instructions as above for making the cake batter. Spray a bundt pan well with non-stick spray, then spoon the prepared cake batter into the greased pan. Bake the cake, uncovered, on the center rack of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, letting it cool completely. When the cake is fully cooled, use a knife to loosen the edges of the bundt cake, then flip the cake pan over onto a cake stand or serving platter, then remove the bundt pan. Serve the slices of bundt cake with the warm vanilla sauce.
Make the Vanilla Sauce
- Meanwhile, make the vanilla sauce by combining all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the sauce begins to simmer, reduce the heat to medium, simmering for 10-12 minutes, whisking constantly, making sure the sauce doesn’t boil over. Remove the sauce from the heat, letting it thicken as it cools a bit.
Serve the Cake
- Pour the hot sauce over the top of the cake as soon as it's removed from the oven. Or, keep the sauce separate and warm over low heat, pouring it over individual pieces of cake as they are served.
Notes
- Don’t over bake the cake. Over baking can cause your cake to be dry and crumbly. Bake the cake just until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- If you are planning to serve this cake to a large group of people who will be eating the majority of the cake at one sitting, pour the sauce over the entire cake immediately after it comes out of the oven. This will ensure that the cake has a very moist and rich texture since the sauce will seal in all the residual heat and moisture from the hot cake. (Once the sauce has been poured over the entire cake, you’ll want to eat it within 2-3 hours; following that time frame, the cake can become too soggy.)
- If your guests will be eating this cake a few pieces at a time, say all throughout the afternoon or evening, keep the sauce separate in a small pitcher or saucepan so guests can pour it over their piece of cake as desired.
- Be sure to sift the flour before you add the other ingredients, this keeps the texture of the cake nice and light.
- If you especially enjoy this cake made with cranberries, be sure to stock up on fresh cranberries throughout the holiday season during November and December. You can toss the fresh cranberries into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
I’ve tried this recipe twice. Good recipe but here are the things that are handy to know. One cup of sugar is way too much, you have a delicious very sweet sauce to go on top, 1/2 cup is enough. The consistency should be quite thick to hold the cranberries in place, I added a little extra milk to make it a slightly softer consistency for a better effect. If using frozen cranberries, add 10 – 15 minutes to the cooking time.
Hi Annie –
I’m glad you customized this recipe to your liking. I’ve not tried it with frozen cranberries, so I’m glad for the info on the extra baking time needed.
Your fan,
Chef Alli
Loved this.
Hi Susan – glad you enjoyed this cake. Thank you so much for the rating and the comment – I appreciate you letting me know!
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
I want to give this recipe 10 stars! It’s just that good. But I did not make the icing – instead I made a Hot Butter Sauce – 2 cups white sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix sauce ingredients together and bring to a boil. Boil for about 5 minutes.
It is fantastic! Sent some to my neighbors and they are raving about it and asked for the recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing such a fantastic dessert!
Hi Teddy –
10 stars?? Sweet! We love this cake, too, and now I’ve got to make it two new ways:
1. With your recipe using the hot butter sauce
2. In a Bundt pan to see how that works for this recipe
So thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe and that you let me know – I really appreciate the feedback!
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
Can you make this cake in a Bundt pan?
Hi Michelle-
That’s a GREAT question! I’ve never made it in a bundt pan, but I’m checking with my friend that gave me the recipe to see if maybe she has. I THINK it would work, but I hesitate to just say “oh sure!” without checking or trying it myself – it sure would be beautiful made in a bundt pan. Stay tuned!
Chef Alli
Hi Michelle –
Hope you saw my previous reply on your question? See that one first. I just heard back from my friend who gave me the Cranberry Butter Cake recipe and she hasn’t made it in a bundt pan, either. However, we discussed the batter and feel the cranberries would stay put while the cake is baking in the oven, just as they do in the 9 x 13 pan. It should take longer to bake, but as long as you do a cake test with a cake test to be sure it’s done at the center, I’m pretty sure it would be just fine…..and gorgeous! I’m going to give this a try myself so I can add this option to the recipe.
Also, if you try this, could you let me know how it works for you? I’d love to hear back in case you make it in bundt cake form before I get to it!
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
Merry Christmas!!
Hi Michelle-
I just wanted to get back with you regarding making the Cranberry Butter Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce….you asked earlier in Dec. about making it in a bundt pan. I tried that over the weekend and guess what? It works just great. I’m going to update the recipe asap to include the directions for making it that way as well as in a 9×13 pan.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
Chef Alli,
That is wonderful! I will defiantly try it. I ran out of time and ambition for the holidays ? It looks delicious and agree that it would make a stunning Bundt cake. I truly appreciate your following up with me. I can’t wait to try it for myself!
Warmly,
Michelle
*definitely ?
My guys would love this! I think I would love to have a sice of this with some hot tea,! Going to make this for Christmas Eve dessert!!!
Hi Kellie –
Well, I don’t drink hot tea, but I can sure say this cake is great with a cup of coffee. 🙂
It’s a perfect dessert for the holidays and everybody loves getting to pour their own warm
vanilla sauce over the top of their piece of cake.
Let me know if it passes inspection for your fam,
Chef Alli
This looks delicious! ♥️
Hi There –
It’s a great cake to make anytime, but looks especially beautiful for the holidays. And, all your guests will enjoy getting to pour their own vanilla sauce over their piece of cake!
Thanks for your comment,
Chef Alli
This was fun to prepare and so tasty!!!!
Hi Lori –
Yep, that Cranberry Butter Cake is a keeper recipe and I’m so glad to know you think so too! I appreciate your comment and the 5 star rating – that cake is always popular this time of year because it makes such a statement.
Thanks again,
Chef Alli
You won’t want to stop eating this! Soooo delicious!!
Hi Ashley –
We love the Cranberry Butter Cake, too, and I have the same problem – you just can’t stop with one piece!
Thanks for your comment here!
Chef Alli
Absolutely delicious
Hi Cindy –
Isn’t this the most moist and yummy cake?? That warm vanilla sauce seems to seal the deal. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, too.
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
So amazing! What a holiday treat!
Hi Jess –
Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed this cake – it’s been a popular recipe that is always a big hit because it’s such a yummy cake with beautiful presentation!
Sincerely,
Chef Alli
Mmmmmmm wow! So amazing! Family loved it!!!!!
Hi Morgan –
I’m so glad to hear that your fam enjoyed the Cranberry Butter Cake. I think it’s the warm vanilla sauce that really makes it over the top – wouldn’t you agree?
Hope you’ll make it again soon,
Chef Alli
This looks delicious! This will be the new Christmas dessert I try this year.
To substitute bourbon for the vanilla, how much do you recommend?
Hi Angie –
Thanks for asking this question – it tells me that I need to address this within the post. If you’re wondering, there are likely others who are doing the same! I typically add 1 Tbs. bourbon in place of the vanilla extract…….if nobody is looking, I might even add an extra one. 😉
Thanks for reaching out!!
Chef Alli
Thank you so much!
My pleasure!
This vanilla cake recipe is the main cake formula that I learned from this beautiful article. Being brought up in a small town has its own perks and we did not really have any bakeries in our town when we were kids.
Hi Rani –
We love this cake and I hope you’ll give it a try, too, if you haven’t already.
Let’s Get Cookin’,
Chef Alli