The marriage of cranberries and oranges just oozes Christmas cake heaven. Tangy, bright cranberries and fragrant, fresh orange zest combined with a sweet, warm slice of cake fairly dripping with a luscious glaze are just about perfect with a cup of hot tea. I love how easy this cake is to make and how decadent  it looks with the glaze dripping down the sides. It’s the ideal cake for a dessert buffet or holiday party.

Cranberry Orange Tea Cake makes a really lovely gift for neighbors and friends. You could wrap a loaf in some pretty  bakery paper like these Treat Sheets Liners and tie with a bow. Or, use these Paper Loaf Pans. I love how easy these pans are to use and you don’t have any bread pans to wash. Plus, they come in several sizes to make all your holiday baking and gifting easy.

Cranberry Orange Tea Cake

12 servings

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose or spelt flour
• 3/4 cup organic sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Aluminum Free Baking Powder
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup orange juice from a freshly squeezed orange
• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 2 organic eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup cranberries, chopped (fresh or frozen)
• Orange Glaze (optional)
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 cup sifted powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease the bottom only of an 8×4-inch or 9×5-inch loaf pan. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine milk, orange juice, melted butter, zest and eggs. Stir to combine well. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Gently stir in cranberries and mix until they are evenly distributed. Pour batter (it will be thick) into pan and bake until a knife comes clean from the center, 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on size of pan. Loosen sides from pan, remove and let cool completely.

Doesn’t that look heavenly?

Orange Glaze

In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the orange juice with powdered sugar, adding a little more juice if necessary to obtain a smooth consistency. Drizzle over top of loaf.

 

Kate’s Tips

• You can make this with fresh lemon juice and zest instead of orange to change it up.
• For a less sweet cake, just leave off the glaze.
• Toast a couple of slices and top with vanilla ice cream for a yummy dessert.
• No fresh cranberries? Try dried ones, it’ll be just fine!

This is one of my favorite Christmas cakes. I hope you get to try it, I think you’ll love it as much as I do 🙂