Cranberry Orange Breakfast Cake (Printable)

Citrus-infused breakfast cake with tart cranberries and orange zest. Tender, moist crumb perfect for morning enjoyment.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon baking powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 3/4 cup milk
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Flavorings and Add-ins

09 - Zest of 1 large orange
10 - 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

→ For Serving

11 - Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line with parchment paper.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, cream softened butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
04 - Add milk, eggs, and vanilla extract to the creamed butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
06 - Fold in orange zest and chopped cranberries gently with a spatula until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
07 - Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly using a spatula.
08 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving if desired. Slice and serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with the kind of citrus sweetness that feels like sunlight even on gray mornings.
  • The cranberries add little pops of tartness that keep each bite interesting instead of just sweet.
  • You can mix it by hand or with a mixer, and either way it works beautifully.
  • It tastes even better the next day after the flavors settle into each other overnight.
02 -
  • Chopping the cranberries coarsely instead of leaving them whole prevents big pockets of tartness and helps them bake evenly into the crumb.
  • Softening the butter to true room temperature makes all the difference when creaming, cold butter will not fluff up no matter how long you beat it.
  • Do not skip the parchment paper or greasing step, this cake can stick stubbornly if the pan is not prepped right.
03 -
  • Zest the orange directly over the bowl so none of those fragrant oils go to waste, they carry most of the citrus flavor.
  • If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw them first or they will bleed too much color into the batter and make it streaky.
  • Run a knife around the edge of the pan before turning the cake out, even with parchment it helps release cleanly.
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