Soft, buttery and with a generous topping of cinnamon struesel you can’t beat a classic coffee cake. This traditional cake gets dressed up for the holidays with the pop of fresh cranberries and a sweet citrus glaze drizzled over the top. Whether you enjoy it for breakfast, afternoon tea or dessert my recipe for Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake is easy to make and the perfect holiday treat.
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There are two things that make any coffee cake great. The first, of course is the cake itself. I love a cake that is moist, light and not overly sweet. A mixture of softened butter and just enough sugar make for a soft crumb while Greek yogurt (or you can also use sour cream) keeps the cake moist and light. The second thing that takes this cake up a notch is a buttery, cinnamon crumble and lots of it. A thick layer of spiced struesel ensures you get some in every bite (be sure to take a look at my Baileys Irish Cream Coffee Cake and for other delicious cranberry treats check out my Cranberry Curd Tart, Cranberry Orange Biscotti and Cranberry Pistaschio Shortbread Cookies).
Ingredients
For the Struesel Mixture
- All purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
For the Cake Batter
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter softened
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Large eggs
- Fresh orange zest
- Vanilla extract
- Fresh cranberries
For the glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Orange juice
- Orange zest
How to Make Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
Preheat the oven to 350℉ while you prepare the struesel. In a medium bowl combine the all purpose flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add in the cubed butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is combined with pea sized crumbs. Place the struesel mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Prepare the cake batter. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl beat together the granulated sugar and softened butter until creamy suing a hand mizer. Add in the eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add in the the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined (the batter may be slightly lumpy). Stir in the fresh cranberries. Line a greased 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the cake batter in the prepared baking pan and top with the strusel mixture. Transfer the cake to the oven and for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Prepare the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, milk, orange juice and orange zest. Drizzle the glaze over the coffee cake. Using the parchment paper lift the cake from the baking pan. Slice into 9-12 servings and serve as desired.
If you like this Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake be sure to take a look at some of my other recipes!
Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole
If you make this Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Be sure to follow me on Youtube, Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see what you guys are making!
Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 3 mixing bowls
- 1 hand mixer or stand mixer
- 1 Pastry Blender
- 1 8×8 inch baking dish
- Parchment Paper
Ingredients
For the Struesel Mixture
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter cold and cubed
For the Cake Batter
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp fresh orange zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ while you prepare the struesel. In a medium bowl combine the all purpose flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add in the cubed butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture is combined with pea sized crumbs. Place the struesel mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Prepare the cake batter. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl beat together the granulated sugar and softened butter until creamy suing a hand mizer. Add in the eggs, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla extract and beat until well combined. Add in the the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined (the batter may be slightly lumpy). Stir in the fresh cranberries.
- Line a greased 8×8 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the cake batter in the prepared baking pan and top with the strusel mixture.
- Transfer the cake to the oven and for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rackfor 15 minutes.
- Prepare the glaze by stirring together the powdered sugar, milk, orange juice and orange zest. Drizzle the glaze over the coffee cake.
- Using the parchment paper lift the cake from the baking pan. Slice into 9-12 servings and serve as desired.
Notes
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