Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake
This cranberry swirl coffee cake has a deliciously moist crumb with a beautiful swirl of cranberry sauce running through the center. The rich sour cream in the batter adds tenderness and a slight tang, complementing the tartness of the cranberry sauce and balancing the overall sweetness. Topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel, this coffee cake is great for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat. Serve it alongside coffee or tea for the ultimate cozy indulgence.
Hey there, and welcome back, friends.
You are in for a festive holiday treat!
I am a big fan of coffee cakes and I have made many of them over the years like Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumble & Cinnamon Swirl, Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Chai Coffee Cake, and Eggnog Coffee Cake. But my oh my, I feel this one is the best.
The buttery cinnamon streusel topping and homemade cranberry sauce set this coffee cake apart and make it perfect for sharing over the holidays.
Do you see coffee cake as a dessert cake or a midday afternoon snack cake? For me, it can be either and no one ever complains if I serve it for dessert.
Let’s talk about using sour cream in coffee cake. For me, the best coffee cakes use sour cream. It adds the perfect richness and tanginess to the batter. Plus, it makes it moist instead of dry. For this cake, you can use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream if that’s all you have on hand.
Speaking of substitutions, I love that you can use leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving instead of making homemade cranberry sauce. I usually freeze leftover cranberry sauce until I need it again. One cup is all you need for this recipe.
I love it when a coffee cake has a swirl of jam in the center. It’s like a little burst of flavor with every bite. This coffee cake with cranberry sauce swirl does not disappoint. It’s truly a delight with each bite.
There’s something so cozy about coffee cake that it makes afternoon breaks with a cup of coffee extra special. I can quiet my mind, stop thinking about all of the Christmas gifts I still need to buy, and just enjoy each bite of this tender cake.
Ingredients
- fresh or frozen cranberries
- orange juice & orange zest
- granulated sugar & brown sugar
- ground cinnamon
- ground cloves
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- unsalted butter
- baking powder & baking soda
- vanilla extract
- an egg
- sour cream
- powdered sugar, optional
How to Make Cranberry Coffee Cake
Make the cranberry swirl first, as it needs time to cool down. Add all ingredients to a pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
Continue to cook the marmalade, stirring regularly and gently mashing the cranberries until most of the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened to a jammy consistency. This will take between 15 and 25 minutes.
Once done, remove the jam from the heat and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. This can be done up to a week in advance and kept in the fridge.
Preheat the oven and lightly grease a springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
Add all of the ingredients for the crumble topping to a medium bowl. Mix well until crumbly and no pockets of dry flour remain. Set aside.
To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream until well combined, about 1 minute.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions, beating just long enough until combined. The batter should be thick and creamy.
Use an offset spatula to spread about half of the batter in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared springform pan.
Measure out 1 cup of the cooled cranberry sauce for the swirl. Reserve the remainder for a different use. Add several dollops of the cooled cranberry sauce to the batter that has been spread into the pan.
Spread the cranberry sauce into an even layer.
Add the remaining batter on top of the cranberry sauce and spread it into an even layer. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to help settle the batter.
Lastly, scatter the crumble on top of the batter in an even layer.
Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven until the top is golden brown, the center is set, and a tester comes back clean, this takes about an hour.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then run a palette knife around the edge of the pan and release just the ring. Cool for an additional hour.
Before serving, remove the bottom part of the pan and the parchment paper. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar if desired.
How to Store
Leftover coffee cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Though it will taste best on the first day, make sure to enjoy leftovers within 2-3 days.
More Holiday Cake Recipes
These cake recipes would be great to make over the holidays. Your family and guests will love them.
- Cranberry Eggnog Coffee Cake
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake
- Sweet Potato Layer Cake
- Orange Pound Cake
- Spiced Pumpkin Cake
What do you think of this festive cranberry coffee cake recipe? What would you serve with a slice of this? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!
Happy baking, friends!
Cranberry Coffee Cake Recipe
Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake
This cranberry swirl coffee cake has a deliciously moist crumb with a beautiful swirl of cranberry sauce running through the center. The rich sour cream in the batter adds tenderness and a slight tang, complementing the tartness of the cranberry sauce and balancing the overall sweetness.
Ingredients
For the cranberry swirl:
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
For the crumble topping:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
- Make the cranberry swirl first, as it needs time to cool down. Add all ingredients to a pot over medium-high heat. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook the marmalade, stirring regularly and gently mashing the cranberries until most of the cranberries have burst and the mixture has thickened to a jammy consistency. This will take between 15 and 25 minutes. Once done, remove the jam from the heat and allow it to cool completely to room temperature. This can be done up to a week in advance and kept in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper.
- Add all of the ingredients for the crumble topping to a medium bowl. Mix well until crumbly and no pockets of dry flour remain. Set aside.
- To make the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, eggs, and sour cream until well combined, about 1 minute. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions, beating just long enough until combined. The batter should be thick and creamy.
- Use an offset spatula to spread about half of the batter in an even layer in the bottom of the prepared springform pan. Measure out 1 cup of the cooled cranberry sauce for the swirl. Reserve the remainder for a different use. Add several dollops of the cooled cranberry sauce to the batter that has been spread into the pan. Spread the cranberry sauce into an even layer. Add the remaining batter on top of the cranberry sauce and spread it into an even layer. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to help settle the batter. Lastly, scatter the crumble on top of the batter in an even layer.
- Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown, the center is set, and a tester comes back clean.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then run a palette knife around the edge of the pan and release just the ring. Cool for an additional hour. Before serving, remove the bottom part of the pan and the parchment paper. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
- To speed up the recipe process, you can use 1 cup of leftover cooked cranberry sauce for the cranberry swirl. Or, you can make the cranberry swirl up to a week in advance.
- It is crucial to use room-temperature ingredients in the cake batter to ensure the proper texture and rise. Butter and eggs can be set out on the counter for 2-3 hours in order to reach room temperature. Sour cream needs less time, about 1 hour.
- Resist the temptation to slice into the cake before it has had a chance to properly cool. This will yield the best texture.
- If you don’t have a 9-inch springform pan, you can use a deep 9-inch cake pan in its place. An 8-inch springform pan may also be used but the cake will most likely need a slightly longer baking time.
- Sour cream only needs about 1 hour to come to room temperature. Measure out what you need for the recipe, cover it, and set it aside.
- You’ll most likely have about ½ cup of extra cranberry sauce. Use it on toast, biscuits, oatmeal, yogurt, or pancakes.
- You can use leftover or store-bought cranberry sauce. You’ll need 1 cup total. If it’s chilled, allow it to come to room temperature before using it in the recipe.
- Leftover coffee cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature. Though it will taste best on the first day, make sure to enjoy leftovers within 2-3 days.
- You can use an equal amount of Greek yogurt but I recommend using a full-fat or whole milk Greek yogurt as it will yield the best results.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 265mgCarbohydrates: 85gFiber: 2gSugar: 53gProtein: 5g