Cranberry Cake Recipe – A Festive Layer Cake for Christmas!

In this cranberry cake recipe, soft and fluffy vanilla butter cake is layered with vanilla buttercream and cranberry sauce for a festive show-stopping holiday dessert that’s perfect for Christmas or Thanksgiving.

When it comes to holiday treats, I usually think of cookies first.

There are the classics that my mom made every year, like her frosted sugar cookie cut-outs and Russian Tea Cakes. And there are a few new favorites, like Maple Pecan Potato Chip Cookies.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to holiday deserts! There’s also fudge, chocolate rum balls, gingerbread caramels, and peppermint bark.

And of course there are also a ton of festive-flavored drinks and baked goods of every kind. The one thing that doesn’t come to my mind is usually a festive cake! But this cranberry layer cake recipe changes that.

The flavors in this cake go together really well. The sweetness of the vanilla buttercream is a wonderful pairing with the sweet/tart cranberry sauce. Sandwiched between layers of soft vanilla-scented butter cake, it really is a lovely Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve dessert.

The Story Behind This Holiday Cake

A couple weeks ago I was cleaning out my fridge and I noticed half a batch of cranberry sauce leftover from Thanksgiving. I had been watching reruns of the British baking show and so I had a classic Victoria Sponge Cake fresh in my head.

And then an idea took shape.

What about using cranberry sauce instead of jam and buttercream instead of whipped cream to make a holiday spin on a Victoria Sandwich?! It was an epiphany.

Add a few sugared cranberries on top (because I had just made those beauties and they were stashed in my fridge anyway), and it’s a beautiful way to gild the lily.

Plus sugared cranberries look like they’re covered in snow, which makes this cranberry cake even more perfect for the holidays, right?!

(Side Note: Check out my step-by-step photo directions for how to make sugared cranberries!)

I also added a little fresh rosemary as a garnish for a pop of green to get the red and green color scheme. Additionally, I like to use rosemary here because it looks like pine. Alternatively, you could use fresh mint leaves if you like.

This is the perfect treat to whip up for the holidays when you want to make something that’s festive, but just a little bit different.

The Best Cranberry Cake Recipe

You might be surprised at how easy this beautiful cranberry cake is to make! It doesn’t require any special equipment and it doesn’t really take that long. And I have to admit, it’s a pretty great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce.

For this recipe I tweaked my recipe for Yellow Cake, but you could use your favorite yellow or white cake recipe instead. And if you’re pressed for time, even a box cake mix will work!

Ingredients

In this section, I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas. For the full recipe (including ingredient amounts), please see the recipe card below.

Cake:

• Avocado oil – or vegetable oil
• Butter – softened but not fully melted
• Sugar – we use granulated white sugar here
• Egg whites – for best results, use fresh egg whites (not the ones from the carton)
• Pure vanilla extract – for flavor and aroma
• Almond extract – this is optional; you won’t be able to pull out it’s flavor, but it’ll just add another dimension to the cake
• Milk – whole milk or low-fat milk is fine
• All-purpose flour – this is the base of our cake
• Baking powder – the leavening agent
• Salt – even in sweet recipes, salt is a flavor enhancer that pulls out the flavor of everything else

Buttercream:

• Unsalted butter – at room temperature
• Pure vanilla extract – for flavor and aroma
• Butter flavor – this is optional; it enhances the flavor of butter in this frosting
• Salt – pulls out the flavor of everything else
• Powdered sugar – this sweetens the buttercream, and also gives it stability and volume
• Milk – for creamy texture

Other:

• Butter – to grease the pans
• All-purpose flour – to flour the pans
• Cranberry sauce – this is the filling in this festive holiday cake; you don’t have to use homemade cranberry sauce, but it’s easy to make and so much better than store-bought!
• Sugared cranberries – this is optional, and used for garnish (or you can use fresh cranberries)
• Fresh rosemary – this is another optional garnish

How to Make Cranberry Cake

Make the Cake

1. Beat together the oil, butter, sugar, egg whites, and extracts, and then beat in the milk.
2. Add the dry ingredients and beat to combine.
3. Prepare two round cake pans. Butter and flour them, and line each with parchment paper.
4. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
5. Bake until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Run a paring knife along the outside of the cakes to loosen them from the pans, and then turn them out onto a wire rack. Cool for 5 minutes and then peel off the parchment paper.
6. Let the cakes cool and then slice them in half horizontally.

Make the Buttercream

1. Beat together the butter, extracts, and salt, and then beat in the powdered sugar.
2. While beating, drizzle in enough milk so the buttercream is thick and creamy.

Assemble the Cake

1. Place one cake layer onto a cake plate and frost the top with buttercream.
2. Measure out 6 tablespoons of cranberry sauce on top of the buttercream, and spread it out evenly.

Repeat this process twice, and then place the remaining cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake. I like to do a somewhat thin layer of frosting on the outside because I like the “naked cake” look.

If desired, decorate the top of the cake with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary.

How Long Will Cranberry Cake Last?

Store this cranberry Christmas Cake wrapped in the fridge for up to 4 days.

How to Use Leftover Cranberry Sauce

If you’re looking for more ways to use up cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving, here are some more ideas:

• Eggnog Muffins with Cranberry Filling
• Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
• Cranberry Sauce Vinaigrette
• Grilled Cheese Thanksgiving Leftovers Sandwich
• Cranberry White Cheddar Cheese Ball with Fresh Rosemary

More Holiday Cake Recipes

• Gingerbread Cake Roll
• Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Cake
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on December 24, 2020 and updated on December 10, 2023.