Cranberry coffee cake with brown sugar pecan topping is a delicious and festive treat that is perfect for any occasion and is especially during the holidays. The tart cranberries are the perfect addition along with the nutty flavor from the pecan topping.
The holidays are approaching, and you know what that means. That’s right! Holiday treats! From savory dishes like classic turkey and dressing to sweet treats like decorative cookies, I get super excited about holiday cooking. I love to make it all! Today, I’m sharing a favorite treat of mine – this cranberry coffee cake. I love to make this one throughout the holiday season because I can serve it as a sweet breakfast, a snack for family and friends, or a dessert at our holiday gatherings. I even make it for no other reason than to keep it on hand to snack on. It’s just so good. It’s also super easy, which is a big bonus. This is a dangerous recipe, people! I say that in the best way possible.
Cranberry Coffee Cake
This delicious coffee cake starts with a basic coffee cake batter to which I add coarsely chopped fresh cranberries for a tangy, festive addition. Then, I top it with a sweet and crunchy brown sugar pecan topping and bake it until it’s golden. Finally, I drizzle it with a simple, homemade cinnamon vanilla glaze and serve it. It takes a little over an hour – that includes baking and cooling – and when it’s all done, I have a coffee cake that’s perfect for the fall and winter as well as both Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a recipe that’s at home on any table at any time.
Why You’ll Love This Cranberry Coffee Cake Recipe
- This coffee cake has the perfect combination of flavors with the fresh, tart cranberries, the sweet brown sugar pecan topping, and the moist cake.
- It’s versatile and can be served for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or as a holiday treat during the holidays.
- It’s easy to make and the crunchy, flavorful topping is amazing, then drizzled with a cinnamon vanilla glaze for added deliciousness.
Cranberry Coffee Cake Ingredients
This list of ingredients for all three parts of this recipe is incredibly simple. They’re all kitchen staples, and you probably have all of them in your kitchen right now. This time of year, you might even have the cranberries on hand.
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Brown sugar
- Sour cream
- Butter
- Milk
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- Fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- Chopped pecans
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Cranberry Coffee Cake
Making this recipe is just about as easy as it gets. It’s a straightforward baking recipe, so you just need to do a little mixing, a little pouring, and a little baking. That’s about all there is to it!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 10-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Make the Brown Sugar Pecan Topping
Combine the brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, and melted butter in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Combine the Dry Coffee Cake Ingredients
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.
Step 4: Combine the Wet Coffee Cake Ingredients
In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the brown sugar, sour cream, butter, milk, egg, vanilla and orange zest. Beat until combined.
Step 5: Make the Coffee Cake Batter
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Then, fold in the cranberries.
Step 6: Bake
Pour the batter into the springform pan and top it with an even layer of the streusel topping. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 7: Cool
Remove the coffee cake from the oven and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 8: Add the Vanilla Glaze
Combine the powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl and drizzle it over the warm coffee cake. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Mix your coffee cake batter until just combined and no further to ensure the cake isn’t tough.
- Fold the cranberries gently into the batter to avoid extra gluten forming.
- Coffee cake can be fairly dark golden by the time it’s fully baked. That’s okay!
Variations
- Try adding white chocolate chips to the coffee cake batter.
- You can use chopped walnuts in place of chopped pecans.
- If you don’t have sour cream, you can use an equal amount of full-fat Greek yogurt.
- For a more tender coffee cake, try using cake flour.
What to Serve with Cranberry Coffee Cake
This delicious coffee cake is perfect with a glass of milk, a cup of tea, or, of course, a cup of coffee! It’s the perfect sweet breakfast or afternoon snack. You can also serve it as part of a larger breakfast by serving it alongside your favorite savory breakfast options. For more sweetness, try topping it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!
Recipe FAQ
In Europe, a coffee cake is usually a sponge cake flavored with coffee. In North America, coffee cake is a sweet cake without frosting intended to be served with coffee as a sweet breakfast or afternoon snack.
In most cases, including this coffee cake, frozen cranberries don’t have to be thawed before using them in baked goods. In fact, the general rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t defrost them.
European coffee cake is made with coffee. The American version that most of us are familiar with rarely has coffee in it.
I bake this coffee cake in a round springform pan because it makes it easier to remove the cake. It also allows me to cut the coffee cake into triangular pieces which I think look nicer.
Coffee cakes are so good because they combine a moist, tender cake base with cinnamon, sugar, and other flavors to create a cake with a lovely crumb that’s perfect with milk, coffee, or tea.
How to Store Leftover Cranberry Coffee Cake
Store this coffee cake in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 2 days. For longer storage, place in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month.
Try This Delicious Cranberry Coffee Cake Today
This cranberry coffee cake makes the perfect breakfast, holiday brunch, dessert, or snack for the winter months and the holiday season, in general. It’s easy to make, loaded with sweet and tangy flavor, and it always disappears so quickly. This is a coffee cake that will make you the star of the show. Give it a try, and I know you’ll fall in love with it.
More Delicious Coffee Cake Recipes You’ll Enjoy
This Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake is a delicious and easy recipe that the whole family will enjoy.
Cranberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Cranberry Coffee Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel Topping
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup melted butter
Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 10” springform pan with parchment paper.
Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel Topping
- In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour and melted butter. Stir.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and cinnamon together until combined. Set aside.
Cranberry Coffee Cake
- In a large bowl, or bowl of a stand mixer, add brown sugar, sour cream, butter, milk, egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Beat until combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Stir the cranberries into coffee cake batter.
- Add batter to the prepared pan and top with streusel topping.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze
- In a small bowl, stir powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon and vanilla together..
- Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake and dust with additional powdered sugar if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Can I make this in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Diane,
Yes, you sure can. The time will need to be adjusted. Check after 35-40 minutes. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does. :)