This delicious Cranberry Coffee Cake is light and moist, studded with cranberries and topped with an almond streusel topping.
I have been making this cranberry coffee cake for many years. It is the perfect thing to have on your counter as family arrives or friends drop by for the holidays. It’s a wonderful way to welcome them!
Since it is so moist, this cake will keep well stored covered on the counter top for several days, so it can be ready for any time or for any one who drops in.
Perfect for any time of day, this light and moist cake is full of cranberries and topped with a delicious almond streusel topping. Enjoy this cranberry cake with morning coffee, with afternoon tea or as a dessert with a dollop of whipped cream.
Cook’s Notes for Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake
You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. If frozen, thaw first and pat dry before adding to batter.
You can change this one up a bit flavour wise by using orange zest and juice instead of the lemon.
This is a very moist cake, so it keeps well for several days, stored covered on the counter. This cake would also freeze well if you want to bake it ahead.
Change it up! You can use any nut for the topping, such as chopped walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts if you like. For a nut-free version, omit the nuts and use large flake rolled oats instead.
I garnished my cake with some fresh cranberries and a few sprigs of rosemary. I would suggest not leaving the rosemary in the cake if it will be sitting on the counter for a bit, as the flavour of the rosemary will transfer to the cake.
Recipe adapted from a Canadian Living recipe.
Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake
Delicious fresh (or frozen) cranberry coffee cake, topped with an almond streusel.
Ingredients
Almond Topping:
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch salt omit if using salted butter
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/3 cup flaked almonds
For Cake:
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt less if you used salted butter
- 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp almond extract or 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups cranberries fresh or thawed frozen
For garnish:
- 1 Tbsp confectioners/icing sugar
Instructions
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Prepare the Almond Topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until moistened and clumpy. Pour in the flaked almonds and with fingers, mix together until crumbly. Place bowl in the fridge while you prepare the cake.
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Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In a large bowl with an electric mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the almond extract (or vanilla) and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream and mix until well combined.
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With a spoon, gently stir 1 cup of the cranberries into the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Scatter remaining 1/2 cup of cranberries over the top. Sprinkle almond topping over the top.
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Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the outside and remove the outer ring. Transfer cake to a cooling rack, sliding off the base of the pan (with the parchment) and onto the cooling rack. Let cool completely.
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Serve dusted with icing sugar.
Recipe Notes
Be sure to read the "Cook's Notes" in the original post, for more tips, options, substitutions and variations for this recipe!
Made this the other day for my friends birthday and it was a total hit! Forgot to thaw the cranberries but it didn’t seem to alter anything otherwise followed the directions, definitely on my make again list!
Hi Emma, Glad you enjoyed it. I think using frozen cranberries may just affect the cooking time as they cool the batter and slow the baking a bit. Otherwise, no problem.
This looks delicious ! I only have a 9 inch and a 10 inch spring form pan. will it be alright to bake this in the 9 inch?
First time to your site and you have beautiful recipes. Snow here tomorrow so I am making your short ribs ! Can not wait !
Thanks so much, Char and yes, you can bake it in a 9-inch. It will be thinner, so the cooking time will be less, so be sure to check it early and often. Enjoy :)
Hi, I love this cake, it’s moist & not too sweet. The topping especially the almonds tend to brown/burn easily. Tried baking a second time, lowered the temperature a little & the almonds still got burnt. Any suggestion to avoid this?
Hi Yvonne, So glad you enjoyed the cake. I have never had an issue with my almonds burning, so I can only suspect there is something different between how I am baking it and how you are baking it. Are you baking in the centre of the oven? Are you baking it in the prescribed pan? Other than that, I would suggest laying a sheet of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the cake for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. Hope that helps :)
Delicious! Me and my family love this recipe.
So glad to hear, Ryan! Thanks :)
I love cranberry cakes and this looks so festive and delicious for the season!
I wonder does this cake freeze well it really looks delicious
Hi Debbie, It should freeze just fine!
Jennifer, I made this cake on December 23 at night as my wife would not let me help wrap the fits I had to do something so to work I went. I did everything you said, used the orange zest and juice.. I was terrified when it was done. I let it cool for two hours then put in under a glass dome. Wpuld not let anyone taste it until I did so thta if I did not make it right I could just toss it. It was good…passed it around Chritmass even on the dessert table and it was gone. Everyone commented on how nice a cake it was and it was tasty.. Not much of a Baker myself I found this very easy so long as you can read and can count in frictions. Thanks you so far i have done no wrong with your blog. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year keep them coming I have passed along your blog to all my friends.
Hi Pat! So glad to hear :) Thanks so much and Happy New Year to you, as well!
I found your recipe on Pinterest, tried it for a Christmas morning treat, and my family loved it. They were all begging for the recipe. Since then, I’ve been scrolling through your site and I cannot wait to try many more recipes.
Also, I traded the lemon zest and juice for orange zest and juice and it was to die for.
So glad to hear, Shelley! Thanks :)
Jennifer, this looks amazing! I have mascarpone in the fridge. Can I use that instead of sour cream? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Susan, I think mascarpone would work well. You may (or may not need to) want to thin in every so slightly with some cream or half and half to move it a little towards the consistency of sour cream. Enjoy!
I adore the idea of having this on the counter as family and friends drop by! Beautiful!
I made this cake yesterday. It was really delicious. It did not last a day. My husband and dad ate most of it! Definitely will make again. The crumb topping was the best part for me!
So glad to hear, Deborah :) Thanks!
This is cake looks lovely, can the sour cream be substituted with Greek yogurt?
thank you!
Merry Christmas
Michele
hi Michele, I haven’t tried it myself, but experience tells me it should work just fine. Just keep in mind that Greek yogurt is much lower in fat than (full fat) sour cream, so it may affect the moistness of the finished cake a bit.
Schmakalaka! That’s what my mom used to say when something looked or tasted particulary wondeful. This looks schmakalaka, for sure! Wish I happened to be dropping by your house today!
This lovely cake makes me want to have company! I adore almonds and cranberries – and this cake looks exceptional. Have a very Merry Christmas Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Tricia and you, too!
Oh, how I wouldn’t LOVE a slice of this with my morning coffee today! It looks extra special for the holidays Jennifer. I love the flavors!
Looks so festive and its perfect for welcoming visitors during the holidays! Love this time of year and your baking is so well suited for it:)