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Orange Cranberry Coffee Cake

Cranberry-Orange Coffee Cake

This orange cranberry coffee cake proves that a genuinely impressive holiday-ready bake can come together from a bag of frozen berries and a fresh orange. This cranberry orange coffee cake recipe layers a buttery streusel and citrus glaze over a tender, tart-and-sweet crumb, delivering everything a proper orange cranberry crumb cake should taste like. Whether served at a weekend brunch or as the centerpiece of a holiday cranberry coffee cake spread, this orange cranberry streusel cake earns a permanent spot in the regular rotation.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 393
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (85g) almonds sliced
  • 3/4 cup (85g) King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
  • 1/2 cup (60g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter melted
  • 12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup (198g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tablespoon (14g) orange zest
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups (198g) King Arthur Unbleached Self-Rising Flour
  • 1 cup (113g) King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 cup (227g) milk
  • 1 cup (114g) dried cranberries
  • 1 cup (113g) confectioners' sugar sifted
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) half-and-half or milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking pan
  • Microplane zester
  • large mixing bowl

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9" x 13" pan.
  2. For the topping: Mix together the almonds, flours, and sugar. Stir in the butter just until crumbs form; don’t overmix.
  3. For the cake: In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla, and orange zest. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each is absorbed before adding the next.
  4. Whisk together the flours and add them alternately with the milk, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the cranberries, then crumble the topping mixture over the cranberries.
  5. Bake for 38 to 45 minutes, until golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
  6. For the glaze: Mix the ingredients together until smooth, adding more liquid or confectioners’ sugar to make a pourable glaze. Drizzle over the cake before serving.
  7. Store leftovers, covered on the counter for up to 3 days; freeze for longer storage.

Recipe Notes

Cranberries: I use frozen most of the time, since they hold their shape better in the oven than fresh berries.
Self-rising flour: I always check the expiration date, since an old bag leaves the cake dense instead of light.
Orange zest: I zest the orange before juicing it, since a squished, juiced orange half is nearly impossible to zest.
Buttermilk: I use real buttermilk for the tenderest crumb in this recipe.
Butter: I keep mine cold for the streusel and softened for the batter, since each component needs a different texture.