Holiday Baking

When All else fails, post about food.  Here is a cranberry cake I dreamed up.  The cranberries create flavor bombs in the cake. It makes a great coffee of dessert cake. 

Cranberry Cake 

Ingredients grouped as you will add them:

4 ounces salted or unsalted butter (room temperature will work best)

1 ½ cups granulated sugar 

4 large eggs 

2 cups all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 ½ teaspoons Saigon Cinnamon 

½  teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg (about ½ a nutmeg)

½ teaspoon ground cloves 

2 fluid ounces orange liquor 

12-16 ounce bag of fresh or frozen whole cranberries

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans 

Process: 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat liberally with non-stick baking spray, a 9-inch tube or Bundt pan.   

Measure and stir together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Set aside. 

Cream together butter, and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy (3 to 5 minutes you really can’t overdo this.)  Add the eggs and beat until light a fluffy.  Beating the mixture with the eggs incorporates air into the mixture, making the cake less dense. This will take 5 minutes or so, you will notice a significant change in color and texture.  

Stir in the dry ingredients by hand taking care to not over mix. 

Carefully by hand fold in the cranberries and nuts. 

Transfer to prepared tube pan. 

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until a cake tester or wood skewer comes out clean. 

Invert on cooling rack and remove the cake from the pan.  

Could be dusted with powdered sugar or glazed if desired.  

Cool 2-3 hours before slicing. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.  

Use fresh whole cranberries.  Cranberries freeze well. If using frozen, thaw under running water, shake dry before folding in.