Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake is a super moist coffee cake with a hidden layer of leftover homemade cranberry sauce and a delicate almond topping. The perfect way to use up that extra Thanksgiving cranberry sauce.
I know I’ve sometimes mentioned in my blog that Christmas always sneaks up on me. I’m really not the best planner. But as soon as it’s cranberry season again, I am busy planning holiday menus and experimenting with different cranberry recipes, like this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake!
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake
I don’t know about you, but I always seem to have some leftover cranberry sauce in my fridge. This Thanksgiving we really enjoyed our Italian Cranberry Sauce! This Cranberry Bundt Cake is also super fabulous and easy to make!
I seem to always take care of what I need to the week before Christmas. It’s frenetic and it’s sometimes a little stressful, but I always get things done. You may be like me and find yourself with containers of leftover cranberry sauce in the fridge. This is what you need to make with leftover cranberry sauce!!
I thought baking this Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cake would be a good reminder of a gift I always want to give: mini tea cakes at holiday time (you could make this recipe in mini size to wrap and give as a gift). The recipe is found in The Gourmet Cookbook from 2003 (gosh, do I still miss that magazine!). It’s supposed to be made in a regular size loaf pan. You can make it in mini loaf pans, one regular size loaf, or even a Bundt!
Can you use jellied cranberry sauce for this cake?
You have to use homemade cranberry sauce, not jellied. If you haven’t had time to make your own sauce, you could puree’ 2 cups of cranberries with 3/4 cup of sugar and let it drain in a sieve before using it in the recipe. I’ve made it both ways and prefer it much better with homemade cranberry sauce. At the current time I have two containers of cranberry sauce in my fridge, so this will be made again this week!
This is my favorite cranberry sauce recipe; you could use it or use your own.
How to make homemade cranberry sauce?
1. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in orange juice and water (or just water).
2. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes).
3. Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl.
4. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
How to make the cranberry swirl?
Be sure to not get close to the cake batter edge. Leave at least a 1/2-inch space to the border. If you add less cranberry sauce, you could gently give it a swirl with a butter knife when you add the 2nd part of cake batter. I’ve made it both ways: with a swirl and without. And sometimes it creates it’s own swirly design even without me touching it.
Does homemade cranberry sauce need to be refrigerated?
1. Homemade cranberry sauce needs to refrigerated. Refrigerate the cranberry sauce within two hours of cooking.
2. Keep refrigerated in a covered container.
3. Homemade cranberry sauce should keep for 10-14 days in the refrigerator.
4. You could also freeze any leftover cranberry sauce.
Can you freeze this coffee cake?
Yes! They freeze very well. Simply wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and place in freezer storage bag to freeze for up to 2 months.
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slightly adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook (2003)
Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup homemade cranberry sauce
- 1 granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened (I used Earth Balance margarine)
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest from 1 medium orange
- 1/2 cup milk I used almond milk
- 1/4 sliced almonds
- 2 teaspoons turbinado sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray (or grease it).
- Pulse cranberry sauce in a food processor until finely chopped (do not puree); set aside.
- Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternatively in batches, beginning and ending in flour. Mix until just incorporated.
- Spread 1/2 of batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Spoon half of cranberry sauce evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides. Cover with the rest of the batter. Sprinkle on the almond slivers and turbinado sugar (if you're using it).
- Bake for 55 minutes or until a thin bladed knife inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. (I checked my cake at about 50 minutes. Every oven is different). Let cool for 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Oh I love everything about this cake! You know how much I love coffee cakes. And the cranberry swirl and the crunchy almond topping is fabulous! Great recipe, Lora! 🙂
I'm with An, I loooove everything about it! I swear, I would have to hide one of these just for myself.
Oh my goodness – cranberries! Just bought my first bag, and now I cannot wait to make this cake! Pinned to my cake board.
I love that you used cranberry sauce instead of whole fruits in the cake!
Stunning, Lora! I love that strip of cranberry flowting through the cake!
Wow, these are beautiful loaves! Perfect for the holidays (and gifts!).
These are super pretty with that ribbon of cranberry! The holidays always sneak up on me too. I should really start thinking about what I want to bake and make!
I love the idea of a cranberry coffee cake! It's so perfect for the season! I'm a planner!
These are gorgeous coffee cakes, Lora! I love the cranberry ribbon!
I've got cranberries! Gotta try this.
I love when cranberries are in season. I'm always looking for recipes and this coffee cake looks amazing. So pretty with the cranberries in the middle. Bookmarking…
A cup of tea and a piece of this bread would really finish this week off with a bang. It looks delicious!
Wow…gorgeousness…Could I possibly use frozen cranberries or groseilles in this recipe?..So difficult to obtain fresh cranberries in this part of France!..Beautifully photographed offering, as usual!
I adore cranberry desserts because of the tang of the berries, sadly I'm the only one in the family that does but it doesn't stop me from baking with them. Great job on the cakes Lora.
Beautiful. Cranberry bread/cake is one of my favorite holiday traditions. And although we still have two months, Christmas always sneaks up on me. I need to get baking (and gift-buying!) Thank you for sharing!
What a fantastic coffee cake recipe! Christmas always sneaks up on me, too, and every year I swear that I'm going to be more organized. Still waiting for that to happen. 🙂
A fabulous coffee cake. Really love the cranberry filling.
It's a beautiful red swirl in the cake. I would love this for Christmas. I am in awe of those who can plan out their Christmas well in advance! I even have time off in december, because I work in an elementary school…it just doesn't happen! 🙂
I love Cranberry, and I love coffee cake. I'm in!
Mini loaves with sliced almonds on top are the perfect little gift. I, too, want to make them every year and never do.. a total last minute planner. Really amazing cakes Lora, and the color is wonderful!
I just love cranberries and grabbed two large bags when I saw them at Costco a week or so ago. I can't wait to try this.
These look absolutely delicious Lora! Fruits and nuts in such a yummy looking bread, I would love to have a a loaf all to myself! 😉
Beautiful coffee cake, I must try it!
I love that gorgeous swirl of cranberry running through this cake. I love that it worked with frozen cranberries, but truth be told..I'd end up eating that 'granita' before I could add it in! lol I'll have to stick with fresh!. Amazing holiday coffee cakes!
Great idea to plan ahead! Cranberry is the most wonderful fruit and this coffee cake must be so much brighter with the inclusion of it!
What a beautiful cake! and the cranberry makes it healthy too, right? 🙂 This looks so delicious!
The coffee cake looks delicious and great for gifts.
I am usually a last minute person but this year I swore to bake cookies in advance, because I got an oven now!!
The cranberries have such a glorious shade! I d love a bite Lora.
I miss Gourmet also…
I have already started planning the holidays around here – I LOVE this time of year!
these look amazing, I love the cranberry middle – bookmarked!
I'm with ya, girl. I am not such a planner and my kids all have birthdays around this time, so it gets very chaotic! Lovely cake, just lovely.
Does the cake take 1 cup of sugar or a fourth of a cup? In reading the directions it says add the remaining sugar.
There seems to be a typo in the recipe. It calls for one cup of sugar with 3/4 cup to be used in the cranberries leaving only 1/4 cup for the batter. Should the recipe call for 1 3/4 cups or 2 cups sugar?
The total sugar is 1 3/4 cup. 1 cup for the batter and 3/4 cup for the cranberries (I used a little less for the batter b/c I like my cakes a little less sweet):)
I love everything about this recipe! I can't wait to make it myself!
I definitely need to give this a try!!
I absolutely LOVE this idea! I'll definitely have to try it out after Thanksgiving this year!
What a beautiful and delicious cake, LOVE it!
This is such a great idea! I love that you have a use for any leftover cranberry sauce!
If I want to bake mini loaves, what is the baking time on them? Thanks. They look delicious!
Hi Sherry-thank you! It takes between 30-40 mins to bake them mini (mine were ready about 35 mins). Just be sure to check if they’re done with a thin bladed knife. Happy Baking!!XX