Tuesday, December 22, 2020

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. 







23 comments:

  1. And I thought my Spiced Apple cake tasted good, but this sound amazing! I saved this. Yesterday I made two Stollens.

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    1. Stolen is on my list to make this week, enjoy!

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  2. Replies
    1. I have picked up a few recipes from your blog over the years.

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  3. Anonymous12/22/2020

    I already knew all purpose flour = plain flour but I had no idea what a Bundt pan is. I know now. Is Kosher salt really necessary? And Saigon Cinnamon rather than just cinnamon? However, even the non cooking me knows how delicious the cake would be.

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    1. Any salt would work. Salt varies slightly in density, one expert recommends weighing it. There are surprising differences in taste on varieties of Cinnamon, I really like this one.

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  4. I love baking and baked good. Since discovering my gluten intolerance, I’ve had to learn to make all kinds of baked goods gf. While I’m by no means a great baker, I get the job done and it’s always edible. Now if I can just figure out how to cut all the carbs....sigh.

    Sassybear
    Www.Idleeyesandadormy.Com

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    1. You should post about your baking.

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  5. I'm making another Cranberry Ginger Buckle to take to work on Thursday, but I'm gonna save this recipe and try it myself.
    I do love a good cranberry!

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    1. Going to the office, I haven't done that recently. I made a cranberry walnut tort last week.

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  6. Where's the picture of the finished cake? It sounds so good. Hard to find frozen cranberries here, and fresh tend to only be available in tiny quantities. Otherwise, I'd be ordering a cake or two from my resident chef.

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    1. I may have a photo, I will look. Round and brown,

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  7. Sounds delicious! Orange and cranberry flavours go well together.

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    1. You could put fresh orange juice and zest in it.

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  8. This sounds delicious. I might try it.

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    1. I have made a couple of them, it is fun

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  9. This sounds delicious! I love the intense bursts of flavour you get with cranberries. I might have to brave this recipe although I am nervous of working with cup measures. I worry that they are not as accurate as grams or ounces and have had a couple of failures.

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    1. Most americans are afraid of baking by weight, I have actually found it easy. I have several European cookbooks, Winter Warmers by Narrowboat Chefs just came out, written by a couple living on a narrowboat in the UK (available on Amazon.)

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    2. Well I braved the supermarket and bought a pack of cranberries yesterday....one step nearer to the cake!

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  10. ooooooooooooooooooh, this looks yummy! sassybear is a damn good cook too.

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    Replies
    1. When we meet again, I should cook for you.

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    2. lard awmighty, that would be FABU!

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  11. Clever man to have done this!

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