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Thanksgiving Cranberry Orange Cake topped with cream cheese frosting and fresh cranberries.

Thanksgiving Cranberry Orange Cake

A festive and easy cranberry orange cake that's perfect for Thanksgiving, combining tart cranberries with sweet orange flavor for a comfortable yet lively dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Holiday
Calories: 280
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry Ingredients
  • 2 cups All purpose flour Measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off.
  • 1 tbsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1.25 cups Granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
  • 3 large Eggs
  • 0.5 cups Milk or buttermilk Buttermilk is preferred for extra moisture.
  • 0.5 cups Neutral oil or melted butter Oil is recommended for moisture.
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp Orange zest Real zest enhances the flavor significantly.
  • 0.5 cups Orange juice Freshly squeezed is best.
Add-ins
  • 2 cups Fresh or frozen cranberries No need to thaw if frozen.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease your bundt or round cake pan thoroughly.
  2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt to mix the dry ingredients.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, milk or buttermilk, oil, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice to prepare the wet ingredients.
  4. Gently combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until just mixed; avoid overmixing.
  5. If desired, toss the cranberries with a spoonful of flour before folding them into the batter to prevent sinking.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
Baking
  1. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Start checking earlier to ensure it doesn't overbake.
  2. Once baked, allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 to 15 minutes before flipping it out to cool completely.
Icing
  1. To make the easy orange icing, mix powdered sugar with orange juice gradually until reaching a thick yet pourable consistency.
  2. Once the cake is completely cool, spoon the icing over the top, allowing it to drip naturally.

Notes

Make the cake a day ahead for best flavor. Store covered at room temperature, icing on the day of serving. Frozen cranberries work well, and this cake is freezer-friendly without icing.