Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake
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This Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake is a holiday inspired coffee cake that you'll want to savor all season long. This delicious 9-inch cake is is perfect for brunch or dessert.
If you love coffee cake as much as I do, be sure to check out some of my other favorite recipes like my Cinnamon Swirl Coffee Cake, Coffee Cake Muffins, or my Cinnamon Pecan Babka Coffee Cake.
This Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake is a moist and lightly spiced sour cream cake with a streusel topping and a sweet glaze on top. I use cinnamon and Chinese Five Spice in this organic cake. Chinese Five Spice is one of my favorite spices for the holiday season, as it just tastes like Christmas! If you're not familiar with it, then I highly recommend trying it out as it's a warm and cozy spice that can be used in both sweet and savory dishes.
Enjoy this Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee, tea, or just on its own. This coffee cake makes a great addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas menu! Whether it's served for brunch or dessert, this sour cream cake is sure to be a hit!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Lightly Spiced: This Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake is lightly spiced with Chinese Five Spice which is one of my favorite spices to use around the holidays.
Seasonal Ingredients: This organic cake uses cozy spices and seasonal cranberries for a comforting treat you'll look forward to every year.
Streusel Topping: The streusel topping on this coffee cake is crunchy and sweet and it has the addition of glaze!
Brunch or Dessert: Coffee cake with streusel topping is the perfect kind of organic cake that can be either breakfast or dessert!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use Organic Valley Salted Butter, you can use your favorite.
- Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar as it's less processed than granulated white sugar.
- Eggs: You'll need large eggs.
- Coconut Milk: I use organic coconut milk for flavor as I love how it pairs with the cranberries and spice. But, you can also use cow's milk too.
- Sour Cream: I love a sour cream cake as they are alway extra moist and fluffy.
- All Purpose Flour: My favorite is Cairnspring Mills.
- Coconut Flour: I also add in a little bit of organic coconut flour which helps with the texture of this coffee cake.
- Cinnamon: I use organic Korintje cinnamon, which is my favorite variety. Check out my post the Best Cinnamon to Bake With for more info on the different kinds of cinnamon.
- Chinese Five Spice: Organic Chinese Five Spice is a warm and cozy spice that's made up of five different spices. Sometimes different brands will use a different spice for the fifth spice, but my favorite comes from Frontier Co-Op and it's made up of organic cinnamon, fennel, cloves, star anise, and white pepper.
- Baking Powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not soda. Be sure to check out my post the Difference Between Baking Soda and Baking Powder for more info on leavening agents.
- Salt: Use fine sea salt.
- Cranberries: I use fresh organic cranberries. If you are using frozen, be sure to thaw the cranberries in the fridge for 24 hours and then strain off excess liquid before using them in this coffee cake.
- Powdered Sugar: Make sure the powdered sugar is sifted so you have a smooth glaze.
Tools Needed
- Scale: Always use a digital food scale for the best results.
- Stand Mixer: I use my stand mixer for ease, but if you prefer to use a hand mixer you can also do that.
- 9-inch Cake Pan: You'll need one 9-inch cake pan.
- Parchment Paper: I always use nontoxic parchment paper cake rounds to ensure this coffee cake comes out easily.
- Mixing Bowl: You'll need a mixing bowl to mix up the streusel topping.
- Spatula: I use a spatula to mix up the streusel topping.
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Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
Step 2
To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cane sugar. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks. Add the eggs, coconut milk, and sour cream and mix on low until combined.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue to mix on low until combined into a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the cranberries and fold to combine completely.
Step 3
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Set a timer. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
Step 4
To make the topping: Add the flour, cane sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese Five Spice to a medium bowl and swirl together. Add the 6 tablespoons melted butter and fold together with a spatula until you have a paste.
Step 5
Once the timer goes off, remove the cake from the oven and using your hands, crumble the topping onto the partially baked cake batter. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan. (If you're baking at high altitude, be sure to check the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for high altitude baking instructions).
Step 6
To make the glaze: Add the powdered sugar and water into a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake.
FAQ's
Yes, just add ¼ teaspoon salt to the recipe.
Yes, this is a great cake to make ahead of time! If you just leave it in the pan you can leave it uncovered overnight. If you remove it, then be sure to store in a cake dome.
Craving More?
Spiced Cranberry Snack Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- 1/2 cup salted butter (softened)
- 170 grams cane sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup coconut milk (room temperature)
- 57 grams sour cream (room temperature)
- 212 grams all purpose flour
- 14 grams coconut flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 127 grams cranberries
Topping
- 95 grams all purpose flour
- 113 grams cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- 85 grams salted butter (melted)
Glaze
- 142 grams powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- To make the batter: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and cane sugar. Mix on low until combined and there are no butter chunks. Add the eggs, coconut milk, and sour cream and mix on low until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the flour, coconut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt and whisk together. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and continue to mix on low until combined into a smooth batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the cranberries and fold to combine completely.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 20 minutes. Set a timer. While the cake is baking, prepare the topping.
- To make the topping: Add the flour, cane sugar, cinnamon, and Chinese Five Spice to a medium bowl and swirl together. Add the 6 tablespoons melted butter and fold together with a spatula until you have a paste.
- Once the timer goes off, remove the cake from the oven and using your hands, crumble the topping onto the partially baked cake batter. Return the cake to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the pan.
- To make the glaze: Add the powdered sugar and water into a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cake.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
Nutrition
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Lightly spiced with tart cranberries, this coffee cake is a beautiful balance of sweet and tart!