This simple and delicious cranberry walnut cake recipe is made with eggs, sugar, butter, and flour. Cranberry walnut cake is easy to make and also festive and tasty around Christmas, Thanksgiving, and the fall.
This cranberry nut cake recipe was given to me by my mother in law from Germany. Generally, any recipe she gives me is delicious and fairly straight forward. Serve cranberry walnut cake as is or with Fresh Whipped Cream.
I don't generally like baking because it's very precise compared to cooking, it's time and space intensive, I prefer savory over sweet, and it's sticky to clean.
Having said all that, I do occasionally get the baking sweet bug around the holidays and this cranberry walnut cake is one of my favorite recipes.
Fresh or Frozen Cranberries For Cranberry Walnut Cake?
This recipe is for a cranberry cake using fresh cranberries. I prefer working with fresh cranberries. They are generally affordable and readily available in the fall.
Working with frozen cranberries? Defrost them first so you don't add extra liquid to the cake.
Working with dehydrated cranberries? I haven't done it but I would try in a pinch and think it will work. Soak the cranberries for ~ 5 minutes with hot water to rehydrate them.
Drain the liquid. Taste the cranberries. If they are really sweet, decrease the sugar in this cranberry walnut cake recipe by 20% (~2 oz or ¼ cup)
Troubleshooting Cranberry Walnut Cake
Remember to grease your springform pan or you will have problems getting the cranberry cake out in one piece.
Also, let the cake cool about an hour before slicing. It is very moist and you want it to set so the slices are solid.
TIP: Did your cranberry cake fall apart because you tried to get it out while it was still too hot or forgot to grease the pan? Don't panic. Tear it apart, crumb cake style, and serve with a spoon and a side of ice cream or whipped cream.
Did I mention that cranberry walnut cake is delicious for breakfast? 🙂
Cranberry Walnut Cake Recipe FAQS
Yup. Defrost them first so there is no added liquid to the cake. Strain any liquid and use it for some festive cocktail or add to fizzy water.
I haven't done it but I would try in a pinch and think it will work. Soak the cranberries for ~ 5 minutes with hot hot water to rehydrate them. Throw away the soaking liquid or add it to fizzy water or your favorite bevvie.
Taste the rehydrated cranberries. If they are still sweet, decrease the sugar in this cranberry walnut cake recipe by 20%.
Things In My Kitchen:
- Offset Spatula - for leveling up the top of the cake or adding whipped cream.
- Scale - for being precise which is so important in baking.
- 9" Springform Cake Pan - to make it easy to get the sides away from the pan with no effort.
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Simple and Easy Cranberry Walnut Cake
EatSimpleFood.com
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 6 oz (¾ cup) butter, melted
- 10 oz (1 ¼ cup) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 ½ oz (1 cup) all purpose flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 oz (½ cup) walnut pieces
- 8 oz (2 cups) raw fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease a 9" springform cake pan with butter (you can also use a regular pan but springboard will make your life easier).
- Use walnut pieces or add the walnuts to a quart size ziploc bag and smash (hit) with the back of a big spoon until pieces are broken up. (see video)
- With a hand mixer, mix together melted butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add eggs for 1 minute. Add flour and baking powder and mix until combined.
- Fold in (not with the mixer) the cranberries and walnuts by hand. The batter will be thick.
- Spoon into pan and level top with a spatula.
- Bake 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clear.
- Cool completely (~ an hour) and run a knife along the edges of the pan to help separate it from the pan.
- Serve with ice cream or fresh whipped cream. Happy Eating! Beckie
Notes
- Did your cake fall apart because you tried to get it out while it was still too hot or forgot to grease the pan? Don't panic. Tear it apart, crumb cake style, and serve with a spoon and a side of ice cream or whipped cream.
- Working with frozen cranberries? Defrost them first so you don't add extra liquid to the cake.
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This cake turned out perfectly. I added zest and juice of one orange which added a nice hint of additional flavor to it. It was super quick to make though the baking does take a while. Loved it!!
Thanks for the comment Joan! Your review reminds me that it might be time for me to break this recipe out in the kitchen again 🙂
This is a winner! After a few too many holiday cookies (sweet!) this was the perfect day after Christmas Cake, actually light and buttery, crispy good crust,and just the right balance of sweet and tart. Add to that, a welcomed short ingredient list. I keep frozen cranberries in stock, and defrosted and drained well. Cake was ready is 50 minutes (we like on the slightly moister side) and we easily able to get it out of a regular 9" pan. Buttered pan, hit it with Pam, let cool 20 minutes, and flipped over onto a plate, then right side up on another plate!
Be sure to have the ice cream or whipped cream ready, they are a perfect compliment. 10 stars!
Thank you for the comment Michael. I should let you write the actual description! I'm not super into baking so I love the short ingredient list and ease as well. Also, I forgot that the crust is crispy and might need to follow your lead and put that into the description. Cheers!
Oh well let me tell you the easiest put together cake and just so
Delicious very moist and sweet and sour buttery taste just yummy do yourself a favor and make it thank you again
Thanks for the comment Judy! I agree. I love to cook but don't like baking but love this recipe because it's easy and delicious.
I load up on cranberries so they burst at top. Then I let cool a bit and dust with confectioner's sugar. It's a bright red and white dot on the table. Everyone loves it.
Awesome Barbara - thank you for the comment! Beckie
LOVED this cake! So did hubby. Loved the crunchier top of the cake paired with the very moist inside chock full of cranberries. Didn't have any whipping cream/ice cream, but still was fabulous all by itself. My only issue was that despite greasing the bottom & even the sides of the springform pan, and completely cooling, also putting a knife all around it & then releasing it---could not get the cake off the bottom pan without ripping it. So just kept the bottom of the form pan attached to cake & cut slices from that. The slices came out fine.
Thank you for the comment Linda - my MIL will be happy to hear it :). I get it about the bottom, maybe a new non-stick springform pan? But maybe not... Anyway, way to improvise!
I just took this out of the ovenb. I didn't realize spring form cakes were supposed to come off the bottom. I have always served with the bottom still on!
Hi Andrea - Don't fix it if it ain't broken, lol. I have also left the bottom on when it's convenient too :). Happy Thanksgiving! -Beckie
I’m surprised that there is no vanilla in the recipe. Not needed?
I'm so sorry about the delay in response Margaret- thank you for the comment! I don't think it's needed but also think it would be amazing with vanilla. Please let me know if you tried it with vanilla.
This was a huge hit with my family I love it and I intend to put it in my own Recipe book as a “keeper”. It’s so easy and classic thank you
Thank you for taking the time to comment and letting me know Julia. I love this recipe too - it is my mother in laws and she gave it to me because she knows that I struggle with baking, lol.
Can this be made into cookies and what changes would need to be made?
Hi Denise, I'm not much of a baker but my mother in law is. I asked her and she said that she had never tried it and I have not either. So, I would need to try the recipe as cookies first before commenting on if it needed to be changed. I'm sorry that I don't have a better answer for you. I can say that it is a delicious cake!
I made this cake, and it's wonderful. I wonder if you'd ever tried adding orange. I love the taste of orange/cranberry muffins and that would be great. I'm not fond of orange extract or orange zest. I wonder if cutting some of the cranberries and adding orange won't mess with the moisture content much, or would it?
Hi Paula, thank you for the comment and question. Orange sounds amazing in this! I think fresh orange would mess with the moisture too much because it's already pretty moist. I would try a couple dehydrated orange slices or dices. I think there would be enough moisture to rehydrate. I will try this the next time I make the cake. Thank you, Beckie