Vegan Cranberry Coffee Cake

Vegan Cranberry Coffee Cake is a really delicious cake to make when cranberries are in season. The batter comes together in one bowl and it is topped with a tart cranberry filling.

We are talking about a super fluffy cake base with a slightly sweet and tart cranberry topping. Each bite is bursting with homemade cranberry sauce! All you need is a mixing bowl and your spoon!

If you enjoy vegan baking, you should try my Teresa's Vegan Apple Cake, and my Vegan Blueberry-Lemon Bundt Cake.

Originally posted December 2013 and updated for content October 2022.

Since it’s been some time since I shared a vegan cake, and because it is officially cranberry season, I went back to this fall favorite. I have been making this cake for years! The kids loved it since the first time I baked it.

A beautiful cake that is totally dairy-free and no eggs. You could use whatever dairy-free milk you like. It’s not complicated to make and smells wonderful while it’s baking away. The only problem is you have to share this cake!

There was a period of time that my neighbors were vegan. They sort of surprised us and when they made their decision; it happened when we had more time and were dining almost every weekend together.

Or maybe it was just summertime and we had more opportunities to hang out and feast.

Either way, it became an interesting and delicious challenge figuring out what to prepare for them. This cranberry coffee cake is the sort of dessert I would make for them whenever we would be dining together.

When they became vegan, I began to read every book that was out there about veganism. I explored every single website that I could find. I scoured them for the best cakes and cookies. I tried my hand at vegan baking and fell in love n with it.

I still bake a vegan dessert here and there and my kids love them. Actually, everyone loves them. There really is no differentiation in the flavor. If I didn't say, "hey, this is a vegan dessert!" it would be practically impossible to discern from a non-vegan dessert.

Vegan Tip:

A note on the sugar: be sure to use vegan sugar to make this truly vegan. That is the most frequent email I get when I post a vegan dessert.

As I mentioned, I have read up on vegan baking and know that conventional sugar is not considered vegan. So be sure to research the ingredients you use if you'd like to make it truly vegan.

I stumbled upon an apple cake on Vegan Yum Yum. The apple pie coffee cake became a huge hit! I love the cake batter and used it for this cranberry cake. It's a simple coffee cake that is really lovely. It's so easy to put together.

The batter is a great recipe for the kids to make with you. Making the filling gets a little dangerous with cranberries popping, so don't let the little ones do that part

With all the decadent holiday baking and feasts that are happening these coming weeks, something a little lighter is just what I prefer to have a bite of when I am craving something sweet.

Ingredients needed for cranberry coffee cake:

• all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar
• baking Powder
• sea salt
• ground cinnamon
• vegetable oil or coconut oil
• almond milk ( Apple Cider Vinegar or lemon juice)
• cornstarch
• vanilla extract
• fresh cranberries
• sugar
• water
• navel orange 
• fresh ginger (ground ginger-optional)
• sugar mixed with cinnamon (for topping)

How to make cranberry vegan coffee cake?

Step 1: Gather all your ingredients

Step 2: Prep the Cranberry filling

• In a medium sized bowl, rinse the cranberries with cool water, and remove any stems or blemished berries. Drain the cranberries in a colander.
• Heat water and sugar to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.. Continue boiling 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in cranberries. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to pop. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

• When the sauce is cooked, spoon out the orange pieces and the ginger sliver. Pour sauce into bowl or container.
• Chill in the refrigerator for about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 F.

Step 3: Prepare the batter

• In a small bowl, add the milk and vinegar and give it a whirl. Let sit a minute. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients of the cake and whisk together.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix together the oil, milk, water/cornstarch mixture, and vanilla. Mix well. Incorporate the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl with your spatula.

Step 4: Spread 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of a 9×11 greased baking dish. (I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet)

Step 5:

• Spoon on the cranberry filling evenly over the top.
• Spoon the rest of the batter over the top in clumps, leaving some of the cranberry filling showing through.

Step 6:

• Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
• Bake for about 60-80 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Check the cake after 45 minutes. You could cover with foil for the last portion of baking to prevent over-browning.
• Remove cake from oven and good luck letting it cool before serving. The cinnamon sugar smell will have you hypnotized with desire before it cools.

Can I make this vegan cake totally gluten-free?

Yes, you could just sub the all-purpose flour with an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour (I like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur’s). Whichever 1:1 GF flour you like best, but those are two I really like. 

Can vegan cranberry coffee cake be frozen?

Yes, it sure can! Let the cake cool down completely. As soon as it’s cooled, cut out slices and wrap them individually in plastic wrap and foil paper.

Place individual slices and place in zipped lock freezer bag. Defrost overnight on the counter to enjoy the next day.

What is a coffee cake?

A coffee cake is a cake that is traditionally served with coffee. It is usually a light, fluffy cake that is flavored with coffee and topped with a streusel topping.

Coffee cakes can be made in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they are typically round or rectangular.

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More posts like this:

Leftover Cranberry Sauce Coffee Cake

Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake

Overnight Cinnamon Pecan Coffee Cake

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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Cranberry Coffee Cake

Vegan Cranberry Coffee Cake is a really delicious cake to make when cranberries are in season. The batter comes together in one bowl and it is topped with a tart cranberry filling.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, vegan

Servings: 6

Author: Lora

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp baking powder
• ▢ ¾ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ ⅔ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
• ▢ ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk + 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/2 Cup Water
• ▢ 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• ▢ cranberry filling
• ▢ 16 ounces of fresh cranberries 2 cups
• ▢ 1½ cup of sugar
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ one navel orange add the juice of 1/2 and cut the other 1/2 in chunks and add to the cranberry mixture in the pan
• ▢ 1 sliver of fresh ginger or 1 tsp ground ginger (optional)
• ▢ for topping
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 tsp Cinnamon for topping

Instructions

• prep the cranberry filling:
• In a medium sized bowl, rinse the cranberries with cool water, and remove any stems or blemished berries. Drain the cranberries in a colander.
• Heat water and sugar to boiling in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves.. Continue boiling 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in cranberries. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Continue boiling about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until cranberries begin to pop. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Don’t worry if every single cranberry does not completely pop. When the sauce is cooked, spoon out the orange pieces and the ginger sliver. Pour sauce into bowl or container.
• Chill in the refrigerator for about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• prep cake batter:
• In a small bowl, add the milk and vinegar and give it a whirl. Let sit a minute. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients of the cake and whisk together.
• In a medium sized bowl, mix together the oil, milk, water/cornstarch mixture, and vanilla. Mix well. Incorporate the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl with your spatula.
• Spread 1/2 of the batter in the bottom of a 9×11 greased baking dish. (I used an 8 inch cast iron skillet)
• Spoon on the cranberry filling evenly over the top.
• Spoon the rest of the batter over the top in clumps, leaving some of the cranberry filling showing through.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
• Bake for about 60-80 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Check the cake after 45 minutes. You could cover with foil for the last portion of baking to prevent over-browning.
• Remove cake from oven and good luck letting it cool before serving. The cinnamon sugar smell will have you hypnotized with desire before it cools.

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