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    Home » Recipes

    Published: Dec 20, 2022 by Sloane · Leave a Comment

    Cranberry Orange Cake

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This cranberry orange cake is made with soft & moist white cake layers, a tart cranberry jam, a sweet orange curd, and a light mascarpone frosting.

    slice of cranberry orange cake on white plate

    My take on a winter orange dessert had to have a creamy element to it. And since so many of you are very fond of this blood orange cake, I knew I had to make an orange curd. Thus, this cranberry orange cake was born! It features an incredibly soft & moist white cake with a tart homemade cranberry jam, a sweet cara cara orange curd, and a light mascarpone frosting. It's a holiday citrus dream of a cake!

    For more holiday cakes, try Gingerbread Bundt Cake, Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Gingerbread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this cranberry orange cake
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Kitchen Equipment
    • Step by Step Instructions
    • Expert Baking Tips
    • FAQ
    • Storage Tips
    • Baking in Grams
    • Other holiday recipes to try
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this cranberry orange cake

    • Soft & Moist White Cake: Based on my most popular vanilla cake, this white cake is just as soft & moist!
    • Tart Cranberry Jam: This homemade cranberry jam is so easy to make, but of course you can use store-bought if you prefer. 
    • Sweet Orange Curd: Orange curd is arguably better than lemon curd. It tastes remarkably similar to sherbet, so you could say it's pretty difficult not to eat by the spoonful. If you're a winter citrus fan, you have to try it! 
    • Light Mascarpone Frosting: Mascarpone frosting is like a stable whipped cream that's light in flavor and balances out the sweetness of the cake so well.
    decorated cranberry orange cake on cake stand

    Ingredient Notes

    Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you'll find notes on why I chose certain ingredients, as well as ingredient substitutions. 

    ingredients for white cake
    For the white cake
    ingredients for cranberry jam
    For the cranberry jam
    ingredients for orange curd
    For the orange curd
    ingredients for mascarpone frosting
    For the mascarpone frosting
    • Cake Flour: Though it's not essential to make this cake, cake flour achieves the softest crumb! 
    • Sugar: Both the cake and the buttercream require granulated sugar.
    • Leavener: You'll need just baking powder to give this cake the perfect rise & texture.
    • Fat: To make this cake super moist while maintaining that classic buttery flavor, this recipe uses an oil-butter combo. You'll also need 3 whole sticks of butter for the buttercream. 
    • Dairy: For optimum flavor and texture, use full fat greek yogurt and milk.
    • Egg: To make this cake white, use two egg whites. Alternatively, you can use one whole egg and add it in with the wet ingredients. You'll also need three egg yolks for the curd.
    • Oranges: I used cara cara oranges!
    • Cranberries: I used fresh cranberries, but you can absolutely use frozen.
    • Mascarpone: Mascarpone is like a very mild-tasting cream cheese. When whipped up with heavy cream it's just like a super stable whipped cream!
    • Heavy Cream: Be sure to use cold heavy cream!

    Kitchen Equipment

    • Kitchen Scale
    • Electric Mixer
    • Saucepan
    • 6" Cake Pans
    • Cake Strips
    • Parchment Paper
    • Oven Thermometer

    Step by Step Instructions

    There are several elements to this cake, which can seem daunting, but I assure you if you read the recipe all the way through and prep as much as you can, it'll be a piece of cake!😉 

    I highly recommend making the cake layers, cranberry jam, and orange the day before. Then, the next day make the frosting and assemble! 

    butter mixed into dry ingredients in bowl
    STEP 1
    whipped egg whites in bowl
    STEP 2

    STEP 1: Beat the butter into the dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut up the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand.

    STEP 2: Add the wet ingredients & whip the egg whites. Add the oil, yogurt, milk, and vanilla, and mix until fully combined. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until medium peaks form.

    egg whites being folded into batter
    STEP 3
    cake batter in cake pans
    STEP 4

    STEP 3: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until just combined.

    STEP 4: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

    baked cake layers on wire rack
    STEP 5
    cranberry jam in glass jar
    STEP 6

    STEP 5: Cool. Turn the cakes out and cool completely before decorating.

    STEP 6. Make the cranberry jam. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and salt to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat for 10-12 minutes stirring often until the cranberries start to break down. Reduce heat to low, and cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until it has thickened. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass jar to cool completely, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.

    orange curd in glass jar
    STEP 7
    mascarpone frosting in mixing bowl
    STEP 8

    STEP 7: Make the orange curd. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until no lumps remain. In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar mixture, then the lemon juice and egg yolks until fully combined, about 1 minute. Use a rubber spatula to constantly stir the mixture for another 2-3 minutes or until large bubbles form in the center. Immediately remove from heat. Strain the lemon curd into a bowl. Press plastic wrap up against the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

    STEP 8: Make the mascarpone frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, and sugar. Whisk on low speed until combined and smooth, then turn up to medium-high speed until thick.

    cranberry jam added to cake
    STEP 9
    orange curd added to cake
    STEP 10

    Step 9: Assemble the cake. Secure the first layer of cake on the cake stand with a small amount of frosting. Transfer some of the frosting to a piping bag, then pipe a dam around the edge of the cake. Spread a thin layer of cranberry jam in the center.

    STEP 10: Assemble the cake. Pipe another layer of frosting around the edge, then spread a thin layer of orange curd in the center. 

    cake being assmebled
    STEP 11
    cranberry orange cake decorated with orange slices, cranberries, and rosemary
    STEP 12

    STEP 11: Assemble the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and over the whole cake in a thin layer of frosting for the crumb coat. Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then frost the cake as desired. 

    STEP 12: Decorate. Decorate the cake with orange slices, cranberries, and rosemary, if desired.

    Expert Baking Tips

    • Break up the elements over two days. The cake and the fillings all need time to cool down, so I recommend making each of them the day before, then make the frosting & assemble the next day.
    • Use cake strips. To ensure the cake layers bake up evenly & flat, use cake strips! They also prevent the outside of the cake from turning brown. As you can see my cake layers do have a brown crust because I did not use cake strips. They're still just as delicious, just not perfectly white like in this recipe.
    • Don't over-mix the frosting! Just like whipped cream, mascarpone frosting reaches medium peaks very quickly and can easily become grainy if over-mixed.
    decorated cranberry orange cake on cake stand

    FAQ

    How to make a soft & fluffy white cake:

    There are five different methods that ultimately contribute to creating a soft, fluffy, and moist white cake:
    1. Cake flour
    2. A combination of butter and oil
    3. A combination of milk and yogurt
    4. The reverse creaming method
    5. Folding whipped egg whites into the batter

    What is the reverse creaming method?

    The reverse creaming method is the process of beating room temperature butter into the dry ingredients. The fat coats the flour and inhibits the gluten from developing. With this method, the cake is sure to bake up flat without becoming too golden around the edges or on top. In contrast, the creaming method involves beating the sugar and butter together, which adds a lot of extra air into the batter. This is a great method for other bakes, but not with a white cake. With the reverse creaming method, the cake will bake up with an ultra fine, velvety crumb. 

    How to bake flat cake layers:

    Cakes may dome in the middle when they bake because the outside bakes faster than the center, so the center has more time to rise. This is not ideal for layer cakes, because it is a pain to have to trim away the top of the cake. The reverse creaming method helps with baking perfectly flat cake layers. But the best way to ensure your cake layers bake up flat rather than doming is to use cake strips. Soak the cake strips in cold water before wrapping around the outside of the cake pans. This will ensure that the outside of the cake does not bake faster than the center.

    Storage Tips

    Store this cake in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. 

    cranberry orange cake on cake stand cut to reveal inside texture

    Baking in Grams

    All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed to create incredibly delicious baked goods that you can easily recreate in your own kitchen with success. The only way this is possible is to standardize the way ingredients are measured - by weight. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), I can ensure that you can make the recipe accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

    If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

    But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

    Happy baking! x

    slice of cranberry orange cake on plate with fork

    Other holiday recipes to try

    • Nutella Star Bread
    • Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies
    • Gluten Free Peanut Butter Blossoms
    • Spiced Apple Pie Cookies

    If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating & review below and post a picture (or video!) on Instagram and tag me so I can see your bakes! Not ready to make this recipe yet? Click the heart button on the right of your screen to save it for later 🙂

    Print

    📖 Recipe

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    slice of cranberry orange cake on white plate

    Cranberry Orange Cake

    • Author: Sloane
    • Prep Time: 2 hours
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
    • Yield: 2 layer 6" cake 1x
    • Category: cake
    • Method: baking
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
    Save Recipe Recipe Saved

    Description

    This cranberry orange cake is made with soft & moist white cake layers, a tart cranberry jam, a sweet orange curd, and a light mascarpone frosting.


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the white cake:

    • 180g (1 ½ cups) cake flour
    • 168g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp) granulated sugar
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp kosher salt
    • 76g (5 ½ tbsp) unsalted butter, room temp
    • 65g (⅓ cup) neutral oil
    • 113g (½ cup) plain whole milk greek yogurt, room temp 
    • 113g (½ cup) whole milk, room temp
    • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
    • 2 egg whites

    For the cranberry jam:

    • 6 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
    • 25g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
    • Zest of one orange
    • ½ tbsp fresh orange juice
    • ¼ tsp kosher salt

    For the orange curd:

    • 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
    • 10g (1 tbsp) cornstarch
    • ½ tsp kosher salt
    • 35g (2 ½ tbsp) unsalted butter
    • 100g (½ cup) fresh orange juice
    • 3 egg yolks

    For the mascarpone frosting:

    • 227g (1 cup) mascarpone, cold
    • 227g (1 cup) heavy cream, cold
    • 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar

    Instructions

    For the white cake:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and line two 6 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
    2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
    3. Cut up the butter into small cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until it resembles wet sand.
    4. Add the oil, yogurt, milk, and vanilla, and mix until fully combined.
    5. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until medium peaks form.
    6. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter until just combined.
    7. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
    8. Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
    9. Cool completely before decorating.

    For the cranberry jam:

    1. Add the cranberries, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and salt to a medium saucepan.
    2. Heat over medium heat for 10-12 minutes stirring often until the cranberries start to break down.
    3. Reduce heat to low, and cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently until it has thickened.
    4. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) and blend until smooth.
    5. Pour into a glass jar to cool completely, then chill in the fridge until ready to use.

    For the orange curd:

    1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt until no lumps remain.
    2. In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat, melt the butter.
    3. Whisk in the sugar mixture, then the lemon juice and egg yolks until fully combined, about 1 minute.
    4. Use a rubber spatula to constantly stir the mixture for another 2-3 minutes or until large bubbles form in the center. Immediately remove from heat.
    5. Strain the lemon curd into a bowl. Press plastic wrap up against the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

    For the mascarpone frosting:

    1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the mascarpone, heavy cream, and sugar.
    2. Whisk on low speed until combined and smooth, then turn up to medium-high speed until thick.

    For assembly:

    1. Secure the first layer of cake on the cake stand with a small amount of frosting.
    2. Transfer some of the frosting to a piping bag, then pipe a dam around the edge of the cake. Spread a thin layer of cranberry jam in the center.
    3. Pipe another layer of frosting around the edge, then spread a thin layer of orange curd in the center.
    4. Place the second cake layer on top, and over the whole cake in a thin layer of frosting for the crumb coat.
    5. Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes, then frost the cake as desired.
    6. Decorate the cake with orange slices, cranberries, and rosemary, if desired.

    Notes

    • Break up the elements over two days. The cake and the fillings all need time to cool down, so I recommend making each of them the day before, then make the frosting & assemble the next day. 
    • Use cake strips. To ensure the cake layers bake up evenly & flat, use cake strips! They also prevent the outside of the cake from turning brown. As you can see my cake layers do have a brown crust because I did not use cake strips. They're still just as delicious, just not perfectly white like in this recipe. 
    • Don't over-mix the frosting! Just like whipped cream, mascarpone frosting reaches medium peaks very quickly and can easily become grainy if over-mixed. 

    Keywords: cranberry orange cake, orange curd, cranberry jam, mascarpone frosting

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    Hi, I'm Sloane! Welcome to Sloane’s Table! I am a Dartmouth College alumna, professional baker, recipe developer, and food photographer. Here, you will find trust-worthy recipes of baked goods ranging from easy & indulgent, bakery-worthy, and simple & healthyish.

    Learn more about me →

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