Monday, December 20, 2010

Sweet and Tart

Last Sunday, my in-laws celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. That's just amazing to me! We invited them over for dinner, dessert and Christmas tree decorating. Dinner was roast chicken, mashed potatoes and glazed carrots and dessert was this delicious cranberry cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman. This cake was also baked by all the other Cake Slice Bakers and judging by their comments, it's an all around winner. Pretty darn perfect for the holidays too.

I decided to make this cake for their anniversary, because it was far less fussy than the one I made last year and because it's loaded with cranberries (an entire bag), which I know my MIL loves. That night, we carefully placed hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of ornaments on the tree, placed the embroidered tree skirt around the base then sat down to have a nice slice of cake. Afterwards, Mr. H and I presented them with a photo of themselves, framed in aubergine velvet and a silver border. A friend of mine took this photo of them and I think it's just beautiful (thanks Lori!) It's also special because they don't have any formal photos of themselves, and now they do.

Back to the cake, I did have a minor issue, but nothing that would keep me from making it again. The recipe says to bake it for 60-70 minutes at 300 degrees F, but after an hour and 30 minutes it still wasn't done. So I upped the temp to 325 F and baked it for an additional 15 minutes and it was finally done. Of course, it delayed my dinner plans, but it was well worth it. Just keep this in mind if you decide to make it. This cake stayed moist and tender for days- the cranberries were tart and the almond streusel was sweet and crunchy. Light enough to eat for breakfast and sinful enough to have for dessert.

Cranberry Almond Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes

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For the streusel:
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

For the cake:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries

Make the streusel: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch round springform pan.

Combine the almonds, butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Work the mixture between your fingers to form large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the cake: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the eggs and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on a medium high speed until the mixture is lightened and increased in volume, about 5 minutes.

With the mixture on low, add the butter in a slow stream. Turn the mixture to medium speed and beat for another 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

Gently but thoroughly fold in the flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in the cranberries.

Scrape the batter into a prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter. Bake the cake until it is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes (mine took over 1 hour and 30 minutes).

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to a wire rack. Cool completely, cut into wedges and serve.

Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

To see more cakes, head on over to The Cake Slice Bakers!

32 comments:

Please Do Not Feed The Animals. said...

Oh your photographs are so beautiful, Monica.
I adored this cake too. It's going to be a regular in this house.
And 39 years married is wonderful!

Debbie said...

Sounds like such a nice evening. The cake looks great Monica. I made a cranberry cake last Christmas and it was a nice change from the usual cakes I make.

Anonymous said...

This cake is so Chirsmtas-y!! Great recipe. I'm excited to try :)

From the Kitchen said...

I just picked up a few more bags of cranberries! This looks delicious. What a lovely event you planned for your in-laws. The photo is wonderful!

Monica, best wishes for a great holiday season to you and yours.

Best,
Bonnie

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I do love the streusel topping here Monica. Thsi is indeed perfect for the holidays!!

Rosemary Washington said...

Ooh another cranberry recipe for the holidays! Can't wait to try this one.

Katie said...

Your cake looks gorgeous and I love how toasty your almond topping got. Wonderful idea to have a festive party for your friends anniversary.

Unknown said...

This looks absolutely delicious and gorgeous to look at too!!

Jodi said...

It looks beautiful - your pictures are amazing - I was super happy how it turned out too!

Holly said...

This looks delicious! I'm printing it:)

Healthy and Homemade said...

That cake is GORGEOUS!!

oneordinaryday said...

What a beautiful cake to celebrate 39 years! Happy anniversary to your in-laws!

Brownieville Girl said...

"light enough to eat for breakfast and sinful enough to eat for dessert" - very well put!

We loved this cake too :-}

Unknown said...

That cake is so beautiful!

Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer said...

Agreed...winner!

Julie @ Willow Bird Baking said...

This looks AMAZING, Monica! I can't wait to try it!!

All That's Left Are The Crumbs said...

Congratulations to your in-laws on their 39th wedding anniversary. I agree that this cake was wonderful. Tart cranberries and a vanilla flavored cake went great together. Your photos certainly do it justice.

Julie said...

The whole meal sounds just perfect, Monica. What a wonderful way to end it :)

OvenDelights said...

Its great how this cake went well with your celebration, I loved the brightness of the red throughout the cake!

Emily said...

Absolutely a Winner!

Your blog is stunning!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

Happy Anniversary Mama and Papa H! :)

Love that far left photo in your collage. The close up of the cranberry? Pretty.

I'm definitely in. I think I might make it for Christmas day.
~ingrid

Kathleen said...

This cake looks totally delicious!

Everyday mom said...

Your pictures are beautiful! I had to up the temp and bake the cake longer as well, but still a big fan of the recipe. Congrats to your in-laws!

Future Grown-Up said...

Gorgeous as always...you really should be working for a food magazine. Everything you make always looks delicious.

Miri said...

Beautiful photos and an even more beautiful story. Congratulations to your parents in law!

Foodiewife said...

Do you know... I just realized that I have this cookbook. I bought it a year ago, and completely forgot about it. Hmmmm, I'll have to revisit this cookbook.

Anonymous said...

Monica, your cake looks wonderful! Just now got mine up due to some kitchen issues. So nice that you were able to make this for your in-laws...what a blessing to be celebreating so many years of marriage. Wishing you a Merry Christmas :)

Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina said...

I didn't get around to baking this cake for the group, but I'm so glad to read your review. I just LOVE cranberries and have a file just for recipes that use them; with your photos and review, I'll definitely add this! So pretty for Christmas too!

Souffle Bombay (Colleen) said...

Beautiful cake! I have been making something similar for years, however the cranberries and walnuts are on the bottom and carmalize, similar to a pineapple upside down cake - I think I will try this one for a nice variation next time! Thanks!!

Unknown said...

Yum! Now I want this cake again. Happy anniversary to your in laws!!

AmandaPanda said...

So cranberries aren't in season right now, so instead I used dried cranberries and it still tasted delicious! It wasn't as sweet tasting as it would have been with fresh cranberries, but everyone loved it!
Also, for those of you making this, I wish I had more almonds. My pan was a little bigger so the almonds couldn't cover the whole thing. Other than that, it was GREAT! Highly recommend!

On A Whim said...

Can I use a regular 9 inch round cake pan or do i need one in which the sides release?

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