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This easy apple cranberry cake is created from scratch with contemporary cranberries, apples, and pantry staples. With simply 20 minutes of prep time and 50 minutes of baking (with minimal hands-on effort), it’s the proper vacation cake to make for Thanksgiving or Christmas! Serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It may simply be modified to be gluten-free and dairy-free!
Why you may adore it
- Fast and simple prep. With simply 20 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of idle baking time, this apple cranberry cake is easy to make—no mixer wanted! It options easy, healthful components with none synthetic colours, glazes, or frostings.
- Ideally suited vacation dessert. This recipe is ideal for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or Christmas gatherings, because it showcases festive components like apples and contemporary cranberries which are positive to impress household and pals. I additionally advocate these 2 muffins for the vacations: apple pumpkin bundt cake or the beautiful cranberry apple pecan bundt cake.
- Tart-sweet taste combo. Made with contemporary cranberries and apples, this cake has a balanced tart-sweet taste, with simply the correct quantity of sugar to melt the cranberries’ tanginess.
- Versatile recipe. There are many methods to customise this cake! Strive swapping cranberries for raspberries or blueberries and utilizing pears as a substitute of apples. It additionally works effectively in several baking pans, like a 9×3-inch springform, and even an 11- or 12-inch forged iron skillet.
The components and substitutions
- Flour – Use common all-purpose or cake flour. This cake will be made gluten-free; I’ve examined it with each Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur’s gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
- Baking Powder – Guarantee it’s contemporary to assist the cake rise correctly.
- Butter – I used melted salted butter, so no extra salt was added. Soften it briefly within the microwave. You may as well use a impartial vegetable oil instead.
- Sugar – Common granulated white sugar.
- Eggs – They supply construction and texture to the cake.
- Vanilla – Each actual vanilla extract and imitation vanilla work effectively.
- Greek Yogurt – Provides moisture and a delicate tang. You may substitute bitter cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk.
- Cranberries – I used 2 cups of contemporary, uncooked cranberries. In the event that they’re unavailable, you possibly can swap in raspberries or blueberries.
- Apple – I used 1 giant, peeled, and thinly sliced apple. Select apples which are agency and never overly ripe to make sure they maintain their form throughout baking and don’t flip to mush. My favourite candy apple varieties that I take advantage of on a regular basis are Fuji, Envy, Gala, and Honeycrisp.
Find out how to make apple cranberry cake
Listed here are step-by-step pictures and an summary of the directions. For full recipe particulars, scroll to the recipe card beneath.
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter or cooking spray.
2) Put together the batter. In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In a big bowl, whisk collectively the sugar, melted butter, and eggs till mild and fluffy. Add Greek yogurt and vanilla, mixing till simply mixed. Progressively add the flour combination, stirring till easy. Fold in 1 cup of cranberries.
3) Pour the batter into the ready pan. Prepare thinly sliced apples in a round sample on prime, with cranberries positioned between. See my pictures for reference.
4) Bake for 50-60 minutes, till a toothpick comes out clear.
5) Enable the cake to chill for about Half-hour earlier than releasing it from the pan. Mud with powdered sugar, prime with whipped cream or ice cream, and serve!
Find out how to make this cake gluten-free
This recipe has been efficiently examined with each Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour and King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure-for-Measure Flour; both can be utilized as a direct 1-to-1 substitute with out another modifications. If the batter appears too thick, add an additional ¼ cup of Greek yogurt. Be aware that utilizing gluten-free flour could require a barely longer bake time. For finest outcomes, I like to recommend baking the cake in a cast-iron skillet when utilizing gluten-free flour.
Find out how to make it dairy-free
- Change the ½ cup of butter (4 oz) with ½ cup of neutral-flavored oil, like mild olive oil, avocado oil, or canola oil.
- Swap the 1 cup of Greek yogurt for a dairy-free choice, reminiscent of unsweetened almond or cashew milk yogurt. Alternatively, you should utilize 1 cup of sunshine olive oil or one other cooking oil instead of the yogurt.
Baking dish choices
- 9×3-inch springform pan – Excellent for straightforward launch and that is the pan I used.
- 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet – Yields golden-brown, crispy edges and a delicate, moist middle as a result of even heating.
- 9×13 rectangular pan – Pour the batter right into a greased pan and bake for about 40 minutes, or till a toothpick comes out clear.
- 12-cup muffin pan – Flip this apple cranberry cake into muffins or cupcakes! Combine all cranberries and apples into the batter, fill every cup ⅔ full, and bake for 20-Half-hour, checking with a toothpick.
Storage suggestions
- Room temperature. Preserve the cake at room temperature for the primary 48 hours. Let it cool utterly, then cowl loosely with parchment paper or foil, permitting air circulation. It is best loved inside this time.
- Refrigerate. After 48 hours, switch to the fridge for as much as 3 days, saved in an hermetic container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or a freezer bag.
- Freezing. As soon as totally cooled, freeze the cake inside 2 days of baking. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. It’s going to preserve for as much as 2 months.
Different muffins for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Apple Cranberry Cake
This easy apple cranberry cake is created from scratch with contemporary cranberries, apples, and pantry staples. With simply 20 minutes of prep time and 45 minutes of baking (with minimal hands-on effort), it’s the proper Christmas cake! Serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It may simply be modified to be gluten-free and dairy-free!
Directions
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Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). In case your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Line the underside of the 9×3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the perimeters and the underside of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
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In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder.
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In a big bowl, mix granulated sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat utilizing a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes till the combination turns mild in colour, easy (not grainy), and fluffy.
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Combine in Greek yogurt and vanilla extract, and whisk simply till mixed.
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Add the flour combination progressively, whisking 1 cup of flour at a time with the moist components till mixed. Don’t over-mix.
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Fold in 1 cup of contemporary cranberries into the batter.
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Pour the cake batter into the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Prepare thinly sliced apple slices in a round sample on prime, with the remaining 1 cup of cranberries positioned between.
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Place the springform pan with the cake batter on the center rack—particularly in non-convection ovens. Bake for about 45–50 minutes, or till a tester or toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clear. If not accomplished, proceed baking in 5-minute increments, checking every time. I used a convection setting and baked for precisely 45 minutes at 350°F, leading to a totally baked, properly browned cake. In an everyday oven, it might take a bit longer, about 1 hour at 350°F.
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Take away the cake from the oven and let it cool within the springform pan on a wire rack. After about Half-hour, launch the cake from the pan. As soon as it is cool sufficient, you possibly can rigorously slide your hand or a big spatula underneath the cake, between the parchment paper and the cake, and switch it onto a cake plate, discarding the parchment paper.
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When serving, mud with powdered sugar.
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I present useful step-by-step pictures above the recipe card (scroll up).
Notes
Find out how to measure flour accurately with cups:
To measure flour correctly utilizing measuring cups, first sift or aerate the flour by fluffing it up and whisking it. Then, spoon the flour into the measuring cup, avoiding scooping immediately from the bag. As soon as stuffed, use a knife to stage off any extra. When you merely scoop the flour from the bag, you may find yourself with extra flour than the recipe requires, which might result in a dry cake batter. Be sure you aerate the flour to get the suitable consistency!
What baking pans can you utilize?
- I used a 9×3-inch spherical springform pan, lining the underside with parchment paper for a cleaner launch.
- You may as well use a 9×13-inch rectangular baking pan—grease the pan, pour the cake batter in, and bake for about 40 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clear.
- For muffins or cupcakes, use a 12-cup muffin pan. Fold all 2 cups of cranberries and sliced apples into the batter and fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full. Bake for 20 to Half-hour, or till a toothpick inserted comes out clear.
- A ten-inch or 12-inch spherical high-sided cast-iron skillet will provide you with crispy, golden-brown edges with a delicate and moist middle.
Different notes
- Make it gluten-free. This recipe has been examined with Bob’s Purple Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and it’s also possible to use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. If utilizing these flours, chances are you’ll want so as to add a further ¼ cup of Greek yogurt if the batter is just too thick.
- Greek yogurt will be substituted with plain kefir, common yogurt, buttermilk, or bitter cream. Nonetheless, I extremely advocate utilizing plain kefir or Greek yogurt for his or her mild texture and nice tang.
Vitamin
Vitamin Data
Apple Cranberry Cake
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* % Day by day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
Vitamin Disclaimer:
The dietary info on this web site is barely an estimate and is supplied for comfort and as a courtesy solely. The accuracy of the dietary info for any recipe on this web site will not be assured. It shouldn't be used as an alternative choice to knowledgeable nutritionist’s recommendation.
