Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake With Sour Cream – Homemade Recipe
When the cake comes out of the oven, the cranberries have softened into bright, tart pockets beneath a golden top. I wanted a breakfast cake that felt tender rather than…
By Ava
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Reading time: 9 min
Tip: save now, make later.
When the cake comes out of the oven, the cranberries have softened into bright, tart pockets beneath a golden top. I wanted a breakfast cake that felt tender rather than heavy, with enough orange to brighten every bite without burying the fruit. This cranberry orange breakfast cake with sour cream is easy to slice from the pan and serves twelve, so it works just as well for a slow morning as it does for a brunch table.
Sour cream keeps the crumb moist, while orange zest brings the clearest citrus flavor; the juice adds a little more brightness without making the batter loose. I fold the cranberries in at the end, just enough to distribute them without crushing them. Fresh berries work, and frozen ones go straight into the bowl without thawing. Once the top is golden and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, you’ll have a soft, lightly tangy cake with tart berries in every slice.
Kitchen Note
If you’re using frozen cranberries, fold them into the batter while they’re still frozen. Thawed berries soften and can streak the batter before the cake even reaches the oven.
Save this cranberry orange breakfast cake for a brunch bake: tender sour cream crumb, a golden top, and tart cranberries in every slice.
Why the Sour Cream Goes in Between the Flour Additions
Putting all the flour into the butter mixture at once makes a thick batter harder to stir evenly. You end up working it longer to chase down dry pockets, and that extra mixing can make the finished cake less tender. Here, the sour cream and orange juice alternate with the dry ingredients, so each addition blends in without asking the batter to take a long beating.
That order also gives you a useful visual cue: after each addition, the mixture should look mostly incorporated before the next one goes in. Start and finish with the dry ingredients, and stop mixing as soon as the last streaks of flour disappear. The batter will be thick, not pourable. That’s what helps it hold the cranberries evenly when you fold them in, rather than letting the berries collect in a watery layer at the bottom.
Don’t try to smooth every tiny lump by running the mixer longer. A few small irregularities are less of a problem than overworking the flour. Once the berries are folded through, spread the batter in the greased pan and level it gently; the oven will take care of the rest.
How Orange, Sour Cream, and Cranberries Shape the Crumb
- Sour cream — Its richness gives the cake a moist, tender crumb and a gentle tang. Full-fat sour cream gives the most dependable texture; bring it to room temperature so it blends smoothly with the other ingredients.
- Orange zest and juice — The finely grated zest carries the fragrant orange oils, while the juice brings a lighter citrus note into the batter. Use a fresh orange and grate only the colored outer peel; the white pith underneath can taste bitter.
- Cranberries — Fresh or frozen berries give the cake its sharp, juicy contrast to the sweet crumb. Pick through fresh berries for stems or soft ones. Frozen cranberries are convenient and go into the batter without thawing.
- Butter and sugar — Softened unsalted butter creams with the sugar to build air into the batter, so it’s worth starting with butter that’s pliable but not greasy or melted. Granulated sugar keeps the crumb sweet and helps the top brown.
- Eggs — Room-temperature eggs mix into the creamed butter more evenly than cold ones. Set them out while you prepare the pan and dry ingredients, and add them one at a time.
- Flour and leaveners — All-purpose flour gives the cake enough structure to hold the berries. Baking powder and baking soda provide the lift; whisk them thoroughly with the flour and salt so they’re distributed throughout the batter.
Building the Batter Without Overmixing It
Get the Pan and Dry Ingredients Ready
Heat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking pan before you start mixing. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl until there are no visible clumps of leavener. This small bit of prep keeps you from stopping halfway through creaming to measure or search for ingredients. Set the dry mixture aside while you work on the butter.
Cream the Butter and Sugar Until Fluffy
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. The mixture should look lighter in color and fluffy, with no large streaks of butter around the sides of the bowl. If the butter is too cold, it stays in firm pieces instead of trapping air; if it’s melted, it won’t cream properly. Scrape down the bowl if needed so the mixture beats evenly.
Add the Eggs, Then Alternate the Wet and Dry Mixtures
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the orange zest and vanilla. Stir the sour cream and orange juice together in a separate bowl. Add the dry mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two additions; begin and end with the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined after each addition, since extended mixing at this point can toughen the crumb.
Fold in the Berries and Bake Until Set
Fold the cranberries gently into the thick batter, then spread it evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center away from a cranberry comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. A toothpick that hits a berry can look wet even when the cake is baked through, so choose a clear patch of cake for the test. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.
Three Easy Ways to Change the Citrus or Crumb
Use Lemon for a Brighter, Sharper Cake
Replace the orange zest with finely grated lemon zest and the orange juice with lemon juice, keeping the same quantities. The cake will taste more tart and less rounded than the orange version, which pairs especially well with the cranberries.
Make It Gluten-Free With a 1-to-1 Flour Blend
Use a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking flour blend designed to replace all-purpose flour, ideally one that already includes xanthan gum. The cake may have a slightly more delicate crumb, so fold the cranberries in gently and let the slices cool before lifting them from the pan.
Add Pecans for a Little Crunch
Fold chopped toasted pecans into the batter along with the cranberries for a nutty contrast to the soft cake. Keep the pieces small so they distribute through the batter instead of weighing down a few slices.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store covered in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The crumb firms up when cold, so let a slice sit briefly at room temperature before eating.
- Freezer: Freeze individual slices, well wrapped and placed in a freezer-safe container, for up to 2 months. Thaw a slice in the refrigerator or at room temperature while still wrapped.
- Reheating: Warm a slice in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds, then check the center. Longer heating can dry the crumb, so use short bursts rather than trying to heat the whole cake at once.
Questions That Come Up When Baking This Cranberry Cake
Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake With Sour Cream – Homemade Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix in the orange zest and vanilla.
- Stir the sour cream and orange juice together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream mixture in two additions; begin and end with the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.
- Fold the cranberries into the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center away from a cranberry comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.