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A slice of cranberry orange cake with tender golden crumb and red cranberries
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Cranberry Orange Cake Recipe

A single-layer yogurt cake with fresh cranberries, orange zest, and orange juice, baked without frosting or glaze.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Cooling time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 280.4
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 g; spooned and leveled
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder 8 g
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt 1.5 g
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 150 g
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest about 6 g, from 1 large orange; colored peel only
  • 2 large eggs 100 g without shells
  • 3/4 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 184 g; regular yogurt, not Greek
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil 109 g; neutral soybean oil used for nutrition
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 62 g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4.2 g
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries 150 g before halving; rinse, dry, and halve larger berries
  • 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil 2 g, for the pan

Equipment

  • 1 9-inch springform pan at least 2 inches deep
  • 1 Rimmed baking sheet under springform pan
  • 2 Mixing bowls
  • 1 Fine grater for zest
  • 1 Wire rack

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment and lightly oil the base and sides with the 1/2 teaspoon oil. Set the pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Rinse and dry the orange before zesting; rinse and dry the cranberries and halve larger ones.
  2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar with fingertips. Whisk in the eggs, yogurt, 1/2 cup oil, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth.
  3. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture just until no dry flour remains. Fold in the cranberries gently, without crushing them. Scrape into the pan and level the top. Do not taste the raw batter.
  4. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the top is golden, the center springs back lightly, and a skewer inserted into the cake away from a berry comes out without wet batter. Check a second central spot if the first hits fruit. Cover loosely with foil if the top colors before the center is ready.
  5. Cool in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, release the ring, and cool for about 55 minutes more before lifting from the base and slicing into 10 wedges. Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days.

Video

Notes

Contains wheat, eggs, and milk. Nutrition is estimated per one-tenth of the cake, including the oil used for the pan, without accompaniments. The small amount of orange zest is excluded from the estimate. If using frozen cranberries, do not thaw; baking may take longer.
Video credit: John Kanell of Preppy Kitchen, How to Make a Cranberry Orange Cake. His video description uses olive oil, sour cream, dried cranberries, and pecans and also discusses fresh cranberries. This version uses neutral oil, plain yogurt, fresh berries, no nuts, and a single round pan. The linked written recipe has since changed, so use the quantities and method here.