The BEST Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

 This gorgeous coffee cake, is topped with a crunchy buttery topping. Studded with fresh cranberries, this coffee cake is bursting with sweet clementine orange juice. The perfect accompaniment to a cup of coffee or tea, on a cold day.

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What is it about the colder weather that makes you want to curl up with a hot beverage and something sweet? This coffee cake is bursting with cold weather flavours such as cranberries, cinnamon and a hint of cloves. It is the perfect pairing to a cup of tea or coffee, after spending some time out in the cold. You could even enjoy this as breakfast, while watching the snow gently fall out your window.

Does Coffee Cake Contain Coffee?

While many early versions of coffee cake, may have contained coffee, today's coffee cake is a delicious snack cake with a crumble topping, meant to be served with coffee, or tea, as a snack or for breakfast.

Is Coffee Cake Different from Crumb Cake?

While the cake base of both cakes are very similar, coffee cake usually has less streusel topping. Crumb cake has a thicker layer of streusel topping, making it look like it is covered with "crumbs"

What is Streusel?

Streusel is a topping typically made with fat, flour, sugar, and sometimes nuts and spices.

How to Make the BEST Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan and set aside.

The rest is so simple. Start by zesting 4-6 medium sized clementines and set aside. 

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. 

Cream together the butter and sugar, until smooth and mix in the remaining wet ingredients.

Next add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. 

Gently fold in the fresh cranberries and pour the batter into your prepared cake pan.

In a 3rd bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, melted butter and orange juice, until mixture looks clumpy.

Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the cake batter and bake the cake for 40-50 minutes.

While the cake cools, make the glaze by combining more clementine juice and zest, powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

PIN IT!!!

Equipment needed for the recipe 

• microplane grater
• citrus reamer
• 9x9 inch cake pan
• mixing bowls (3)
• whisk
• rubber spatula
• measuring cups for both dry and liquid measures
• measuring spoons

Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake

2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of cloves
1 Tbs fresh clementine orange zest
1/2 C butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 C sugar

1/4 C brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 C milk
1/4 C fresh clementine orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C fresh cranberries

Streusel Topping

3/4 C flour

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C butter or margarine, at room temperature

1 Tbs fresh clementine orange juice

Glaze (optional)

3/4 C powdered sugar

1/4 C fresh clementine orange juice

1 tsp clementine orange zest

1-2 tsp milk (if glaze is too thick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch cake pan and set aside.

Zest 4-6 medium sized clementines. Cut them in half and juice them as well. Set aside for later use.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar(s) until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, orange juice and zest, vanilla and milk; whisking to combine. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in the fresh cranberries. Pour the batter into the prepared dish and set aside. 

In a 3rd mixing bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse wet sand. Stir in the fresh orange juice.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter and bake for 40-50 minutes; until a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.

In a bowl combine the powdered sugar, orange zest and orange juice. Stir until smooth and easily pourable. Add 1-2 tsp of milk, if you'd like to thin your glaze out a bit more.

Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Cover with plastic wrap and store on the counter for up to 4 days.