Soft, fruity, and gently spiced, this apple cranberry cake brings together the best flavors of the season. Packed with sweet apples and ruby-red cranberries, it's a festive cozy bake that fits right on the Holiday table!
Made with easy, everyday ingredients and a no-fuss method, this cranberry apple cake comes together quickly. Every slice is deliciously sweet, tangy, and comforting. A gorgeous treat for a cozy weekday dessert, with your cup of tea and effortless holiday entertaining!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨ Perfect sweet-tart flavors! Sweet juicy apples and tart, bright cranberries create a wonderful contrast in every bite.
✨ With simple ingredients and easy steps, this apple cranberry coffee cake is stress-free and effortless to make.
✨ Thanks to the fruits and yogurt in the batter, this cake is super soft, moist, and has the most tender crumb!
✨ The cranberries add pops of red, making the cake look festive and celebration ready - just like my cranberry pound cake!
Recipe Ingredients
Flour: Use regular all-purpose flour for this apple cranberry cake recipe. This yields a soft and tender crumb.
Butter: Both salted and unsalted butter will work. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the batter. I used salted butter.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works well. You can use cane or raw sugar.
Yogurt: Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt adds so much moisture and richness to this apple and cranberry cake. You can swap with sour cream if you wish.
Eggs: They add structure, flavor, and richness.
Apples: Choose firm apples that will hold their shape during baking. Pick any variety you like - Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, Grannysmith, all are good.
Cranberries: Fresh or frozen cranberries, both will work here.
Vanilla extract: For rounding up the flavors! Store bought or homemade vanilla extract can be used.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations
This apple cranberry cake recipe already has cinnamon for that warm and cozy flavor. You can elevate it further by adding a pinch of nutmeg and ginger powder, like in my gingerbread mug cake recipe.
A little orange zest is lovely, like in my orange cranberry bread.
For something sweeter, fold in some white chocolate chips as I do in these white chocolate cranberry cookies.
Chocolate chips and walnuts will be wonderful here as they are in my no-knead cranberry walnut bread!
How To Make Apple Cranberry Cake
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180 °C / 350°F. Grease an 8-inch spring-form cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon powder in a bowl.
Step 3: In another bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well.
Step 4: Whisk in the yogurt and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Mix until well combined.
Step 6: Fold in the dry ingredients.
Step 7: Toss the diced apples and cranberries with 2 teaspoons of flour, and fold them into the cake batter.
Step 8: Transfer the batter into the cake pan. Top with extra apples, cranberries, and sugar.
Step 9: Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Top Tips
- Make sure all the ingredients, especially the butter, eggs, and yogurt, are at room temperature.
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this easy apple cranberry cake. If using frozen cranberries, there is no need to thaw them.
- Toss the fruits in a bit of flour before adding them to the cake batter. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- This is a thick cake batter. But if it seems too thick or dry, add a couple of tablespoons of warm milk.
- A spring-form pan is very convenient to use for this super soft cake. You can also use an 8-9-inch square cake pan.
- I highly recommend lining the bottom of the cake pan for easier cake removal.
- For the best texture, please let the cake cool completely before slicing it
- For better and consistent results, please use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
Serving And Storage Suggestions
This easy apple cranberry cake is wonderful on its own. A dusting of powdered sugar finishes the cake beautifully.
You can drizzle it with a vanilla glaze, like on my cinnamon roll focaccia or an orange glaze, as on my orange cranberry bread.
How To Store
This apple and cranberry cake stays well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, please refrigerate it for 3-4 days.
Reheat for 15-20 seconds in the microwave before serving.
📖 Recipe
Apple Cranberry Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cup All-purpose flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 large Apple, peeled and diced
- 1.5 cup Cranberries
- 2 tsp All-purpose flour
Topping
- Diced apples and cranberries for topping
- 1 tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Grease an 8-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon powder.2 cup All-purpose flour, 2 tsp Baking powder, 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- In another bowl, combine softened butter and sugar. Beat well until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.1/2 cup Butter, 3/4 cup Sugar
- Add the eggs and beat again. 2 Eggs
- Now add the yogurt and vanilla extract and beat until well combined, for 2-3 minutes. Your mixture can look a bit curdled, but don't worry!1 cup Plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Fold in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Toss the diced apples and cranberries with flour. Fold into the cake batter.1 large Apple, peeled and diced, 1.5 cups Cranberries, 2 tsp All-purpose flour
- Transfer the batter into your prepared bowl. Top with more diced apples and cranberries, and sugar.Diced apples and cranberries for topping, 1 tbsp Sugar
- Bake at 180 C/ 350 F for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes and then carefully transfer to a serving platter. Allow the cake to cool completely.Dust with powdered sugar, slice, and serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Make sure all the ingredients, especially the butter, eggs, and yogurt, are at room temperature.
- You can use fresh or frozen cranberries for this easy apple cranberry cake. If using frozen cranberries, there is no need to thaw them.
- Toss the fruits in a bit of flour before adding them to the cake batter. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
- This is a thick cake batter. But if it seems too thick or dry, add a couple of tablespoons of warm milk.
- A spring-form pan is very convenient to use for this super soft cake. You can also use an 8-9-inch square cake pan.
- I highly recommend lining the bottom of the cake pan for easier cake removal.
- For the best texture, please let the cake cool completely before slicing it
- For better and consistent results, please use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients.
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