Made up of citrus cake layers, cranberry compote and citrus buttercream, my Citrus Cranberry Cake is the perfect dessert for your holiday parties.
Yes, I know I got started on this Citrus Cranberry Cake early, but I couldn’t help myself! I love, love, love the holidays! Thanksgiving and Christmas! I may be playing Christmas music already, but I’m not the type to overlook Thanksgiving. I hold both holidays close to my heart. Thanksgiving and Christmas hold so many amazing memories from the past and have the potential for so many more in the future.
Ryan and I try to spend the holidays with our extended families, carrying on the traditions of our childhoods, but since moving away from them, we’re also now starting our own traditions with our kids, and I couldn’t love it more.
HOLIDAY DESSERTS TRADITIONS
Growing up at my house during the holidays always meant sugar cookies and pies. And while you know I don’t love pie, I will say that my mom’s pies are the best! She’s nailed the pie crust, which was a recipe passed down from her mom. She’s best known for her pumpkin pie, lemon pie and apple pie. I may not eat them, but I appreciate my mom’s tradition of pie making more than she’ll ever know – because it’s not just about the pie. It’s about the tradition. It’s about the memory of learning from her in the kitchen. It’s about the time we get to spend together. Baking, whether it’s pie making or cake making (in my case), is about so much more than the food itself. Baking is memories. Baking is happiness. Baking is laughter. Baking is love.
CITRUS CRANBERRY CAKE
As the holidays approach, I’ve of course been thinking of new cake flavors. Not just any cake flavors, but flavors that you’ll hopefully always associate with the holidays and your memories of baking in the kitchen with your family. I want my cake flavors to be memorable for you, and I think this Citrus Cranberry Cake will be one of those.
These cake layers are an adaption of the vanilla bean cake layers from my White Chocolate Cranberry Cake. The layers are a little more dense than most of my cakes (more like a pound cake), but I think it’s a nice change from the light and fluffy vanilla cakes you might be used to from me.
I added some orange zest to the cake layers, as well as the cranberry compote. I also added an orange simple syrup that you’ll coat the top of your cake layers with to amp up the orange flavor. The frosting has a bit of pure orange extract in it as well, but nothing overwhelming, in my opinion.
I’m so happy with how this cake came together. The flavor is unreal and perfect for the holidays.
Enjoy!
Hey Courtney! I’m making this cake today for my sister in law’s birthday dinner tomorrow. I just have a question about the simple syrup. If I’m going to be freezing the cake layers, do I put the syrup on before I freeze the layers or after I get them out of the freezer?
I can’t wait to taste how it turns out! 🙂
Hi Courtney! I am making this cake today, and I am just wondering if I am going to be freezing the cake layers, do I put the simple syrup on before I freeze the cakes, or after I get them out? Thanks!
I’m probably too late but I usually put it on before I freeze the cake, but honestly it doesn’t really matter. If you wait to do it after it’s been frozen, that’s ok too. Hope you love it.
Made this for Christmas. Halved the recipe and used 6in pans. I wish I would have made more cranberry filling. Every component blends, except the simple syrup. I forgot to add that part, but the cake was moist without. The frosting isn’t incredibly heavy, and I hate American buttercream. The cake, all around, is INCREDIBLE. Do you like orange cranberry sauce? You will adore this recipe. It’s that flavor combo in cake. Will absolutely make again.
Hi there,
It looks like there is a layer of frosting on top of the compote in the picture of the sliced cake- I don’t see that in the instructions. But since the frosting is all the way through in the layers it can’t be just from the barrier right? Please let me know as I would love to try this recipe! Thank you!
Theres a thin layer under the compote!