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Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake

by Savoring Italy

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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.

overhead image of leftover cranberry sauce coffee cake

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!

Originally posted November 2018 and updated November 27, 2020.

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.

overhead image of mini cranberry loaves

 

overhead image of slice of cranberry cake

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.

overhead image of cake batter and cranberry sauce

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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overhead image of cranberry coffee cake

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slightly adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook (2003)

Some other cranberry recipes to try:

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5 from 2 votes

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake

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.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time55 mins
Total Time1 hr 5 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cranberries, leftovers, quickbread
Servings: 1 loaf pan
Author: Lora

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup homemade cranberry sauce*
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup butter *1 stick (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 (about 6 Tablespoons) evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides. Cover with the rest of the batter. Spread the batter over the sauce.
  • Option with cranberry sauce: Add the remain cranberry sauce on top of the batter and gently give it a swirl (using a knife).
  • 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.

Notes

Cranberry Sauce: You could use 1/2 of the sauce in middle of cake and remaining portion on top of the last layer of cake batter (so you're getting two layers of the sauce). You give the top layer a swirl. It's a little tricky to use two layers of the sauce. So I'm explaining it as an option (the original Gourmet book recipe where I found the recipe used two layers). I now make the cake with only one layer in middle and find I like the proportion better.
So if you're making this with any leftover sauce and want to use one layer in the middle, you'll need about 6 Tablespoons of the sauce (if you don't have that much, even less will work out fine).
Mini loaves baking time: Mini loaves will be ready between 30-40 minutes. Mine were ready at about 35 minutes. Check if they're ready by inserting a thin bladed knife in the center.
To Freeze: Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and place in freezer storage bag to freeze for up to 2 months.
Tried this recipe?Mention @savoringitaly or tag #savoringitaly!

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Comments

  1. Baker Street says

    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! 🙂

    Reply

  11. Renee Dobbs says

    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…

    Reply

  13. glutwin says

    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!

    Reply

  15. Monet says

    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!

    Reply

  16. Cookin' Canuck says

    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. 🙂

    Reply

  18. Lyndsey Chapin says

    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! 🙂

    Reply

  24. Lisa says

    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!

    Reply

  28. Helene Dsouza says

    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.

    Reply

  32. Donn says

    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?

    Reply

  33. Savoring Italy says

    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):)

    Reply

    • Lora says

      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

  40. Helen says

    5 stars
    Excellent loaf cake. Made it first with left over cranberry sauce. Second time with cherry jam it was delicious too. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Lora says

      Hi Helen-Thank you so much for letting me know. Just love the idea of making it with cherry jam! Happy Baking! XX

  41. Jenn says

    This is beautifu! I used it for “cupcakes” and instead of the almonds, I smashed white chocolate and sprinkled it on top before baking and when it cooled, I made a white chocolate glaze icing and drizzled it over the tops. They tasted amazing and the cake was super moist!

    Reply

  42. Nan says

    Hi, I want to make this! Can I clarify that it says add half the batter, then half the cranberry and then top with the remaining batter? So only half of the homemade cranberry sauce called for gets used? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Lora says

      Hi Nan, It is half the cranberry sauce. An option is to add second part of batter and the other portion of cranberry sauce on top of that and swirl it if you want even more of the cranberry sauce flavor. Happy Baking! XXX

  43. Julie says

    Made this with leftover cranberry and cherry sauce (cherries soaked first in red wine) , Delicious! The orange zest ,cranberries and cherries with almond topping is a wonderful combination. Not too sweet. A great morning bread with coffeee!! Will make again.

    Reply

    • Lora says

      Oh, wow! Your cranberry/cherry sauce sounds delightful. Really happy you enjoyed it. Happy Baking! xx

  44. Julie says

    Thanks Lora! I am making another loaf tonight it was so good. This will be great to have in freezer for the holidays.

    Reply

  45. Miranda O. says

    Am I reading it right that it says to have 1/2 cup AND 1 stick of butter? Or is it 1/2 cup of butter OR 1 stick of butter?

    Reply

    • Lora says

      Hi Miranda-It’s 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) and the 1 stick should have been more to the right as a note …sorry for the confusion. Enjoy! XX

  46. Gale says

    This looks great. However, I have a question. Would this work in a 9×13 or 9×9 pan instead of a loaf pan. I would just put batter in pan and then add cranberry relish (homemade of course) and swirl it in. Just wondering if you think this would work. My mom managed and cooked in a school cafeteria when I was younger and she would just use the jellied stuff that the government gave them and she’d make a white cake batter, pour into pan (huge pan 24″x24″ x 3″ I’d say) and then grab a handful of the cranberry sauce from the can and squeeze it into smaller pieces all over the cake. Then she would swirl a bit with a knife before baking. After cooking she’d sift 10x sugar over the top and all the kids loved this cake so much she had to start buying the large cans of the cranberry sauce during the year to make it again. This cake reminds me of hers. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • Lora says

      Hi Gale-How nice that your mom made a cranberry cake for the students and that the kids loved it so much!! I’m so happy that this cake reminds you of her. I think in a 9×9 it would work fine (I’m not sure about how thick the cake would be in a 9×13, so would suggest more the 9×9 size). Adjust bake time to 25-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean)I’m not sure what time it would be ready…so I would check it around 25 minutes. Let me know how it turned out and what size pan you used! Happy Baking! XX

  47. Sunita says

    5 stars
    While searching for what to do with leftover cranberry sauce, I landed on this page and what a treasure trove it is!! I made an eggless version of this cake (since DH doesn’t eat eggs) and it adapted beautifully to the change. Glorious recipe, thank you so much Lora! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to you.

    Reply

    • Lora says

      Hi Sunita…thank you so much for taking the time to write me and for your kind words. Really happy you loved the recipe! Merry Christmas (a little late)and a Happy New Year to you and your family! XX