Easy Cranberry Coffee Cake

overhead image of vegan cranberry coffee cake slice

5 from 10 votes

Easy Cranberry Coffee Cake

This 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

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake, vegan

Servings:

Calories: 537kcal

Author: Lora

Equipment

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅔ cup vegetable oil or melted coconut oil
⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk + 2 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 Tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ½ Cup Water
2 teaspoon 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 ½ and cut the other ½ in chunks and add to the cranberry mixture in the pan
1 sliver of fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
for topping
2 Tablespoons sugar mixed with 2 teaspoon 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 ½ 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.

Notes

Substitutions and Variations for Easy Cranberry Cake:

Fruit Swap: If cranberries aren't your thing, try using a different fruit in the filling. Apples or blueberries would work well. Just remember to adjust the sugar as needed, depending on the tartness of your fruit.
Flour Substitute: If you're gluten-free, you can replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free baking mix. Make sure it contains xanthan gum, which helps to bind the ingredients together in the absence of gluten.
Oil Option: If you prefer, you can substitute the vegetable oil with apple sauce for a lower-fat option. This change will make your cake slightly more dense.
Sweetener Alternative: For a more natural sweetener, try replacing the granulated sugar with coconut sugar or pure maple syrup. Note that this will alter the flavor slightly.
Milk Alternative: Any non-dairy milk can be used. Oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or even coconut milk can be great substitutes for almond milk.
Spice Variations: Feel free to experiment with your spice blend. Adding a touch of nutmeg, allspice, or cardamom can create a beautiful flavor profile.

Nutrition