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This stunning coffee cake gives unwanted holiday cranberry sauce a whole new life. You'll enjoy a super moist cake with gorgeous streaks of tart cranberry running through the sweet vanilla batter, all finished with a crunchy, buttery topping packed with almonds that bakes up into irresistible crispy clusters.
I came up with this after finding several forgotten tubs of cranberry sauce pushed into the back corner of my fridge after our Thanksgiving meal. Instead of tossing them out, I thought about how my grandma never wasted leftovers but always turned them into completely different dishes.
Crunchy Topping Mix
- Unsalted Butter: Makes everything stick together with amazing richness
- Toasted Slivered Almonds: Add fantastic crunch and nutty flavor
- Kosher Salt: Cuts the sweetness and makes other flavors pop
- All Purpose Flour: Helps the crumbs keep their shape while baking
- Light Brown Sugar: Brings moisture and hints of caramel to each bite
- Granulated Sugar: Gives the right sweetness level and helps create crispy bits
- Cinnamon: Adds cozy spice that works beautifully with the cranberry
Main Cake Elements
- All Purpose Flour: Gives good structure without making the cake tough
- Baking Powder: Makes the cake puff up nicely
- Baking Soda: Works with the sour ingredients to help the cake rise more
- Kosher Salt: Brings out all the flavors and balances sweetness
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and keeps the crumb super tender
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and keeps it moist
- Orange Zest: Gives fresh citrus notes that work great with cranberry
- Large Eggs: Build structure while adding richness
- Vanilla Extract: Adds lovely background flavor throughout
- Almond Extract: Brings a hint of nuttiness that matches the topping
- Sour Cream: Keeps everything moist and adds a slight tang
- Milk: Gets the batter to just the right thickness
- Leftover Cranberry Sauce: Brings tartness, fruit flavor and gorgeous color
Making Your Coffee Cake
- Getting The Topping Ready:
- Melt your butter and let it cool a bit. Mix almonds, salt, flour, both sugars, and cinnamon in a bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until you get chunks of different sizes. Stick it in the fridge while you make the cake.
- Starting The Cake:
- Heat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl. In another bigger bowl, beat butter, sugar, and orange zest until it's fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Mixing Everything Together:
- Add your dry mix in three batches, adding sour cream and milk between each batch. Don't mix too much or your cake will get tough.
- Putting It All Together:
- Scoop half the batter into your pan. Drop spoonfuls of cranberry sauce all over, then gently spread it around. Add the rest of the batter on top and sprinkle all that yummy streusel over everything.
- Baking It Just Right:
- Bake about 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs. Let it cool for 15 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
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What To Serve With It
Try it with a cup of coffee for breakfast or with spiced chai tea for a cozy treat. Want to make it fancier? Warm up a slice and top it with vanilla ice cream and a little extra cranberry sauce drizzled over.
Fun Ways To Mix It Up
Make an orange glaze by mixing powdered sugar with fresh orange juice and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Add some nutmeg and ginger to the batter for more holiday flavor. Throw in white chocolate chips for an extra sweet twist.
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This coffee cake makes something amazing out of your holiday extras. The tangy cranberry tastes so good against the sweet cake and nutty crumble topping. It'll quickly become your favorite way to use up what's left from your big meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I use homemade or whole berry cranberry sauce for this coffee cake?
- Yes! This works great with any cranberry sauce—homemade, whole berry, or even the jelly kind from cans. They'll all taste good but give you different textures. Homemade or whole berry sauce creates more little pockets of cranberry, while jelly sauce makes a smoother swirl. If your sauce has big chunks, you might want to blend it quickly for easier spreading.
- → I don't have a springform pan. What else can I use to bake this coffee cake?
- No worries if you don't have a springform pan. You can use a 9-inch square baking dish instead—just put parchment paper in with extra hanging over the sides so you can lift the cake out after it cools. A regular 9-inch round cake pan works too, but it might be harder to serve from. With these other pans, you should start checking if it's done about 5 minutes early.
- → Can I make this cranberry coffee cake ahead of time?
- You bet! This cake is great for making a day early. Once it's fully cooled, just cover it and leave it at room temperature. If you need to keep it longer (up to 3 days), put it in a sealed container in the fridge and let it warm up before serving. You can even freeze it for up to 3 months—wrap it really well in plastic and then foil, then thaw it in the fridge overnight and warm it slightly before eating.
- → Is there a way to make this coffee cake without nuts for those with allergies?
- Sure thing! For folks who can't have nuts, just skip the almonds in the topping. You can swap in the same amount of rolled oats or just use more flour to keep that nice texture. Also, don't use the almond extract—just up the vanilla to 2½ teaspoons instead. You'll still get a yummy cake with a great topping and all that cranberry goodness.
- → My streusel topping melted into the cake instead of staying crumbly. What went wrong?
- This usually happens when your butter is too warm or when you made the crumbs too tiny. Keep the topping mix in the fridge until you're ready to use it so the butter stays firm. Also, don't break up the chunks too much—you want some bigger pieces (like pea-sized or larger) so they keep their shape while baking. And check that your oven isn't too hot, because too much heat can melt the butter before the flour sets up.
- → What can I substitute for sour cream in this coffee cake recipe?
- Don't have sour cream? No problem! Greek yogurt works perfectly as a straight swap. You can also use the same amount of regular plain yogurt, crème fraîche, or even buttermilk (though buttermilk will make your batter a bit runnier). In a pinch, you can make your own substitute by mixing ⅓ cup heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and letting it sit for 10 minutes before you use it.