This post contains affiliate links.
Cranberry Almond Cake is a simple, light and buttery cake made with a few basic ingredients, almond flour and fresh cranberries with a sliced almond topping! It's a delicious dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time in the fall and winter when fresh cranberries are in season. Also a perfect breakfast or brunch cake for the holidays or any gathering, served with coffee! Ready in an hour and you can make it a day ahead!
- Cranberry Season! - Tart fresh cranberries bake up soft and bright, making this a festive dessert for the fall and winter holidays! Buy a few extra bags in November for the freezer, you probably have everything else on hand to make this cake anytime!
- A Dessert or Brunch Cake - Fresh cranberry cake is super versatile! It's a great pie alternative for Thanksgiving, and those bold red cranberries make an elegant dessert for Christmas dinner or New Year's Eve. Almond extract just feels like the holiday season, and this cake is dense but light with that almond flour crumb texture! It's perfect with coffee to end a holiday brunch, baby shower, or any family gathering.
- Serve it with my favorite Homemade Bacon Cheddar Quiche for brunch, and check out these Holiday Side Dish Recipes this time of year too!
Jump to:
Ingredients & Substitutions
Simple ingredients, just butter, sugar, egg, milk, flour, almond flour, and almond extract, plus fresh cranberries make this cake easy to pull together when you need a quick dessert that looks fancy!
- Butter - Use room-temperature butter so it creams smoothly with the sugar. Reserve 1 tablespoon for the topping and use a little to grease the baking dish, 1 stick of butter total.
- Sugar, Egg and Milk - These make the simple base of the cake.
- Almond Extract - Adds the yummy almond flavor that pairs so well with cranberries and just feels like the holidays!
- Flour and Almond Flour - Half regular flour and half almond flour give you a tender dense bite and a very almond-rich cake!
- Baking Powder and Salt - The baking powder helps the cake rise, and the salt enhances the flavor of all ingredients.
- Fresh Cranberries - Fresh cranberries burst into juicy tart pops of red throughout the cake, rinse and drain them well before mixing in. Buy extra bags, and try this Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries, and Cranberry Honey Baked Brie!
- For the Topping - Sliced almonds with a little butter and sugar to get them slightly golden give this cake its stunning look!
See recipe card for full ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
This almond cranberry cake can be made quickly with a mixer, just blending one ingredient at a time!
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Save 1 Tablespoon of the stick of butter for the topping and use a bit to grease a round quiche or glass pie pan.
Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer until smooth with no lumps of butter.
Step 2 - Add the egg, milk and almond extract and keep mixing.
Stop to scrape down the sides and make sure everything gets incorporated.
Step 3 - Add the dry ingredients slowly and keep mixing.
Step 4 - Add the fresh cranberries and mix just a bit more until they are incorporated but not crushed.
Step 5 - Pour into the quiche pan, using a spatula to evenly spread out the cranberries.
Don't worry about any tiny bits of butter, they will melt right in when baked.
Step 6 - Mix up the almond topping and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Step 7 - Allow to cool before slicing and serving. Sometimes a fork is helpful to remove that first slice.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Don't Open the Oven to Peek! - The cake needs to bake and rise for 45 minutes. The temperature is not very hot, so don't open the oven door to check on it. You want consistent heat and that can cause the temperature to drop and the cake to sink.
- Use Whole Fresh Cranberries, Not Dried - Dried cranberries are not a good substitute here. When baked, fresh cranberries are juicy, tart and absolutely delicious! They look big, but don't chop them, they bake up soft.
- Let it Cool before Slicing - Cooling the cake makes it easier to cut clean slices and remove it from the pan.
- Serving Ideas - Serve this simple cake plain with coffee for dessert or brunch. Or top it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Make Ahead and Leftovers - The cake can be made a day ahead, cooled completely and covered, I like to use a produce bag or bread bag. Then just leave it on the counter, and slice and serve the next day! Leftovers can sit at room temperature for a day or two, or be refrigerated or frozen.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! In November when cranberries are well stocked at the grocery store, buy a couple extra bags and freeze them. Just rinse the frozen cranberries under cold water, let them drain well, and use them in this recipe.
I have not tested this, but I think it would be fine to substitute the half cup of flour for 1 to 1 gluten-free flour. If you try this, please leave a comment with how it turned out!
Yes! The cake can be made a day in advance, cooled, covered (a produce or bread bag works great). Leave on the counter and slice and serve the next day.
A 9 inch round baking dish, quiche pan, or pie pan works great. You could also use a square baking dish and cut the cake into squares. This feels more like a breakfast cake than a dinner dessert to me!
More Favorite Holiday Baking!
Love this Recipe?
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
Join the Email List for new recipes delivered straight to your inbox!
Cranberry Almond Cake
Hit the stars to rate this recipe!
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 7 Tablespoons butter room temperature (1 stick, but use 1 Tablespoon for the topping and to grease the baking dish)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 cup fresh cranberries rinsed and drained
Topping
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. From the stick of butter, reserve 1 Tablespoon for the topping and use a bit to grease a 9 inch round baking dish, quiche or pie pan.
- Add the remaining 7 Tablespoons of butter and the sugar to a stand mixer and cream together until fully mixed. Stop to scrape down the sides and incorporate any lumps of butter.
- Add the egg, milk, and almond extract and continue to mix.
- Add the dry ingredients slowly with the mixer on low, letting them mix in until incorporated. Add the fresh cranberries and mix just a bit more until distributed but not crushed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared quiche pan. Use a spatula to evenly distribute the cranberries. Mix the topping in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the cake.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Serve the cake for dessert or as a brunch cake, with coffee, plain, or topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- Butter - Use 1 stick of butter total, a bit to grease the pan and a Tablespoon for the topping. I use salted butter but either is fine.
- Use Sliced Almonds - They bake up and toast nicely. I would not use slivered almonds or whole almonds chopped, they won't look as nice!
- Make Ahead - The cake can be made a day ahead, cooled completely, covered and left on the counter.
Leave a Review