A three layer orange and cranberry cake is a showstopper that is easy to create even for inexperienced bakers. The vanilla layers are soft and buttery, the cranberry filling adds a little tartness, and the orange cream cheese frosting ties it all together. It’s festive, but versatile enough to serve for any occasion.
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All About This Cranberry Christmas Cake
Every December, I make this cake using leftover cranberry sauce from our holiday dinner prep. It’s my small way of stretching those holiday flavors a little longer. The cranberry-orange combo has that magic balance of tart and sweet. The orange zest in the frosting makes the whole thing taste fresh, against the buttery cake.
You don’t need to be a pro baker for this one either. The batter comes together easily, and if you cream the butter and sugar until it’s pale and airy, it’s worth the extra minute or two, you’ll end up with tender, bakery-style layers. Buttermilk keeps everything soft, and that touch of oil helps it stay moist even after a day or two in the fridge.
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If you’re like me and always make homemade cranberry sauce around the holidays, make extra or reserve a cup for this cake. It gives the best texture and flavor. But chunky canned sauce works just fine too.
My favorite cranberry sauce usually gets a splash of Grand Marnier, which inspired the orange cream cheese frosting here. The two just belong together.
And that frosting? It’s the part that’ll have you licking the spatula. The orange zest makes it feel so bright and cheerful, a perfect match for the tart cranberry filling. If you don’t want to go the orange route, it is great with a rich, white chocolate frosting.
If you want to make things easy on yourself, bake the cake layers a few days ahead and freeze them. I do this all the time around the holidays, it saves so much stress when the kitchen turns into chaos. Don’t forget to add some sugared cranberries if you want to make it festive.
If you want cranberry flavor without making a cake, go with some buttery shortbreads.
Lining Up What You’ll Need
This cake has quite a few ingredients, but the flavors are out of this world and totally worth it. Make sure to check the recipe card for all the details.
- Cranberry Sauce: Homemade cranberry sauce will taste the best, but canned chunky sauce works if that’s what you have.
- Grand Marnier or orange juice: Adds warmth and citrus depth to the cranberry filling. Skip the liqueur and use orange juice for an alcohol-free option.
- Cake flour: Creates a tender, bakery-style crumb. All-purpose flour will work but it won’t be as soft and tender.
Bringing Your Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe to Life
Step One: Mix the Cake Batter
Step Two: Bake the Layers
Even baking: Rotating the pans halfway through helps the layers bake evenly.
Step Three: Make the Cranberry Sauce
Bake or simmer berries with sugar until they burst and thicken. Stir in Grand Mariner or orange juice once cooled, then blend for a smooth filling. You will only need a cup of cranberry sauce.
Step Four: Whip the Frosting
Step Five: Assemble the Cake
This cranberry cake is one of those rare desserts that hits every note, tart, sweet, buttery, creamy. It’s cheerful but not over the top, and somehow, it feels festive. If you’ve never made a Christmas cake, this is the one to start with. You might even find yourself making it long after the decorations come down.
Don’t Forget!
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Ingredients
Cake
- 3 ¾ cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups butter room temp
- 2 cups sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 4 eggs room temp
- 2 egg whites room temp
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk room temp
Cranberry Sauce
- 12 ounces fresh cranberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoons Grand Mariner
Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 12 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper cut to the size of the bottom of the cake pans. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of the pans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the oil and beat an additional minute. Add eggs one at a time, ending with the egg whites, beating after each addition until incorporated. Add vanilla and beat until well combined.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture with buttermilk in three additions, beating on low just until incorporated, don’t over mix. Pour the batter evenly into the three cake pans.
- Bake for 24-26 minutes until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run an offset spatula or knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely before frosting.
Cranberry Sauce:
- Place the cranberries in a glass baking dish. Add sugar and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the cranberries have popped and it has started to thicken. Allow to cool completely then add Grand Marnier. Stir to combine. Use an immersion blender to blend the cranberries into a jam-like spread. You will only need 1 cup of the cranberry sauce. You can use any type of cooked cranberry sauce.
Frosting:
- Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add orange zest and beat to combine. Gradually add powdered sugar and once combined add orange juice. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.
Assemble:
- Add about a cup of frosting onto the first layer spreading all the way to the edges. Add a ½ cup of the pureed cranberry sauce on top of the layer of frosting, leaving a ½ inch border. Repeat with the second layer. Add the third layer and frost the tops and sides. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting.
This cake is divine! It is however, the most time consuming and labor intensive dessert I have ever made. I would recommend the mention of the cake being “easy to create” be eliminated.
Thanks for you comment. It can be time consuming if you don’t have leftover cranberry sauce.