Description
This Cranberry Pecan Cake is a moist and flavorful dessert featuring tart cranberries, crunchy pecans, and a crumbly cinnamon pecan topping. The optional vanilla icing adds a sweet finish, making it perfect for holidays or special occasions. The cake is baked in a 2-quart baking dish, resulting in a tender crumb with a festive texture and bright colors.
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 Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 2-quart baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes until creamy and combined.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape down the bowl sides and beat again to combine even if the mixture appears curdled.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Liquid: With mixer on low speed, gradually add dry ingredients and milk or orange juice. Beat until smooth but do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in Cranberries and Pecans: Gently fold fresh or frozen cranberries and chopped pecans into the batter by hand. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare Crumb Topping: In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in cold cubed butter with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans.
- Top the Cake: Evenly sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake batter in the baking dish.
- Bake the Cake: Bake for 55 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center which should come out clean. If the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.
- Cool the Cake: Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before icing.
- Make Icing (Optional): Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk (or cream/orange juice), and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency with liquid as needed.
- Drizzle and Serve: Drizzle the icing over the warm cake. Slice and serve with your favorite beverage.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered at room temperature up to 1 day or refrigerate up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freeze baked and cooled cake (with or without icing) up to 3 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator and warm at 300°F (149°C) for 15 minutes before serving.
- Recommended baking pans: 9-inch square, 9-inch or 10-inch springform, or 11x7 inch baking dishes; avoid regular 9-inch round pans to ensure even baking.
- Substitute sour cream with plain or Greek yogurt but avoid liquid substitutes.
- If using dried cranberries, reduce quantity to 1 cup (140g) because they are more concentrated.
- Icing is optional; alternatively dust warm cake with confectioners’ sugar for a lighter finish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (assuming 10 slices)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
