Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

How to Make Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

Why is There No Coffee in This Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake?

Coffee cake is typically meant to be served with coffee, so it doesn’t always contain coffee as an ingredient. Enjoy this coffee cake alongside a nice cup of coffee instead.

What Sour Cream Does in Coffee Cake:

• Sour cream in coffee cake creates the most beautiful, moist texture and flavor.
• Its acidity helps to activate the baking soda.
• Be sure to use full-fat sour cream for best results.
• Use room-temperature sour cream so it incorporates evenly into your batter.
• If you don’t have or can’t find sour cream, you can use plain, full-fat yogurt instead.

Can I Use Fresh Cranberries?

As fresh cranberries aren’t available for long and can only be found seasonally, this recipe was crafted to use frozen cranberries. If you want to use fresh cranberries, you’ll need to make a couple small tweaks:

1. Fresh cranberries contain less liquid than frozen (once thawed), so add an additional tablespoon of orange juice to the compote.
2. It will take a little longer for the fresh berries to break down compared to frozen – about 12-14 minutes.

What Pan Should I Bake This Coffee Cake in?

• Be sure to use an 8 by 8-inch light-colored metal baking pan for best results!
• Dark-colored pans will overly brown the edges and make them dry.
• Glass or ceramic pans may work in a pinch, but you’ll likely need to increase the baking time and lower the temperature by 25°F.
• Check out my article on Glass vs. Metal Pans for more information.
• If using a pan shorter than this USA pan (2.25 inches high) recommended for this recipe, bake on top of a rimmed baking sheet, as coffee cake may overflow.

How to Double This Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake Recipe:

Simply double all ingredients and bake in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan (use light-colored metal for best results). Add about 5 minutes to the baking time.

How to Make This Into a Brown Butter Cranberry Coffee Cake:

To add a fantastic level of nuttiness to this recipe, simply add an additional 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of butter to the recipe, and brown your butter as follows:

1. In a medium stainless steel sauté pan set over medium heat, melt the butter.
2. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises.
3. Once the crackling becomes quieter, continue to swirl the pan or stir until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom.
4. Once the bits are amber in color, remove from heat and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Be sure to keep the brown bits at the bottom of the pan as well, they hold so much flavor!
5. Add both sugars and stir until combined. Set aside to cool for about 5 minutes before proceeding with the recipe as written.
6. Learn all my tips and tricks for browning butter in my How to Brown Butter article here.

How to Make Cranberry Coffee Cake Muffins:

For best results, use foil liners in this recipe to prevent butter leakage. You will yield about 18 muffins from this recipe.

1. Line muffin tins with foil liners.
2. Fill muffin tin cavities two-thirds full of batter.
3. Add and swirl cranberry compote, and top with streusel, pressing in slightly.
4. Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester inserted comes out clean.

How Long Can You Store Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake?

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake will keep fresh and moist for 3 days. Store whole or sliced inside an airtight container or zip-top bag. Keep refrigerated for best results. Microwave slices for 15-20 seconds to reheat before serving, if desired.

This coffee cake also freezes beautifully – tips on this just below.

Can You Freeze Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake?

Freeze the whole slab of coffee cake inside an airtight container for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before slicing and serving.

If storing slices of coffee cake, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store inside a freezer bag or airtight container for up to three months. Thaw slices for a few hours at room temperature or in the fridge overnight before serving.