Cranberry and orange cake

Time for dessert! For the last recipe in my Christmas series this week I’m making a frosted cranberry and orange cake. This dessert is nice and bright with its seasonal citrusy flavors and bursts of cranberries. With all that fresh fruitiness, it’s the perfect way to end a Christmas meal with family.

Cranberry and orange cake

Hope you enjoy this recipe, and let me know what you think down in the comments below! 

Cranberry and orange cake
Cranberry and orange cake

Merry Christmas!

Ingredients :

(Makes about 10-12 servings)

  • 1 flax egg (1 tbs ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tbs water)
  • 2 tbs melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup plant based milk (I used oat milk)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice + 1 1/2 tsp orange zest
  • 2 1/4 cup + 1 tbs all purpose flour (T55)
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

For the frosting :

  • 1/2 cup vegan butter
  • 2.5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp orange zest

Directions : 

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C or 375°F.
  2. In a large bowl, make the flax egg by combining the ground flaxseed and water, stirring well, and letting it sit for 5 minutes.
  3. To the flax egg, add the coconut oil, vanilla extract, milk, sugar, applesauce, orange juice and zest. Stir until well mixed.
  4. In a medium sized bowl, combine the 2 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until combined.
  5. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Set aside.
  6. In the bowl that was used for the dry ingredients, combine the remaining 1 tbs of flour with the cranberries. Stir until the cranberries are coated in flour. This helps prevent them from all sinking to the bottom of the cake during baking.
  7. Add the cranberries to the batter and stir just until combined.
  8. Grease a loaf pan well or line it with parchment paper.
  9. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake looks golden brown and a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  10. To prepare the frosting while the cake is baking, first beat the butter in a large bowl with a hand beater or stand mixer for a couple minutes until softened.
  11. While beating the butter, add the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup or 1 cup at a time to avoid getting sugar everywhere. This will take a few minutes until the sugar is well incorporated and a creamy texture is achived.
  12. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest and beat for another 30 seconds until combined.
  13. Once the cake has been removed from the pan and cooled, spread the frosting on top and enjoy !