Cranberry Orange Swirl Dessert (Print)

A vibrant dessert swirling tart cranberries and fresh orange for a festive flavor burst.

# What you'll need:

→ Cranberry Swirl

01 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons orange juice
04 - 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

→ Orange Cake Batter

05 - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
12 - 1/2 cup sour cream
13 - 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

→ Decoration (Optional)

16 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
17 - Orange zest or sugared cranberries

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a small saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and zest. Simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until cranberries burst and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree or mash until smooth.
03 - In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
04 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition. Mix in sour cream, orange juice, vanilla extract, and orange zest until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mix, stirring just until combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain batter integrity.
06 - Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Spoon dollops of cranberry mixture over it. Add the remaining batter, then spoon the rest of the cranberry mixture on top.
07 - Using a skewer or knife, gently swirl the cranberry and orange batters in a spiral pattern without overmixing.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
09 - Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar and garnish with orange zest or sugared cranberries if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks absolutely showstopping with those cranberry ribbons, but it's genuinely easy enough for a weeknight baker to master
  • The cranberry-orange combination hits that sweet-tart balance that feels festive without being cloying
  • You can make it start to finish in under an hour, which means fresh dessert for dinner or gift-giving without the all-day kitchen commitment
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter after you add the flour is the enemy. The moment you stop seeing white flour streaks, you're done mixing. I learned this after making a cake that was perfectly flavored but dense as a brick.
  • Room temperature eggs actually matter here. Cold eggs won't emulsify properly with the butter and sugar, and you'll end up with a separated, curdled batter that never recovers. Give your eggs 20 minutes on the counter before starting.
  • The cranberry swirl needs to cool slightly before you layer it into the batter, otherwise it'll heat the batter too much and create a greasy, dense cake. Not catastrophic, but noticeable.
03 -
  • Make the cranberry compote the day before and store it in the fridge. It thickens more as it cools, and you can spend less time waiting on baking day.
  • If your swirl looks imperfect, embrace it. The irregularity is what makes it look homemade and real, not like it came from a factory.
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