Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake
Moist, fluffy coffee cake swirled with orange cranberry compote and topped with extra spiced streusel. Winter breakfast and brunch just got a whole lot more delicious.
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Guys, I gave my last final today. It feels SO good to be done. I love my students, but man do I need a break right now. In fact, I totally gave them the wrong directions on their final because my brain is so frazzled. Don’t worry, no one’s grade was harmed. I told them nothing whatsoever could be written on their essay paper before the final started, not even their name.
There was good reason, based on some past attempts at pre-writing essays. Kids can be very sneaky, and I was at the end of a long finals week and had a no-nonsense attitude.
As soon as kids were up throwing their pre-named pieces of paper away, I realized that was a ridiculous rule to make and of course they can put their names on their papers before we start. Only…they’d all crumpled up their papers and half were in the recycling.
So I didn’t say anything. I was too embarrassed. That apology will have to wait for the new year, when the stress of finals is long behind us.
Anyway, I am just so ready to do all the Christmas things. Like one of our favorite outings: Christmas lights! There’s a street nearby called Christmas Tree Lane, and we make a whole evening of it. Dinner at our favorite mac & cheese place (because California is hipster cool like that), a walk through the lights, then dessert at Fenton’s.
I can’t wait.
Then tomorrow: Christmas baking and shopping with my daughter. It’s going to be great.
Why this recipe works
Oh yeah, coffee cake. I started with my absolute favorite coffee cake recipe. I use a variation of it in all of my muffins and loaf cakes. Using both oil and butter creates both fluffy texture and moisture. But man—that Greek yogurt. That gives that rich texture and moisture that last for dayssss. Finally, in a similar vein, using both granulated sugar and brown sugar gives rise (from the granulated sugar) and moisture and flavor (from the brown sugar).
Then the topping. I’ve toyed with this and found you can use soft butter, melted butter, even cold butter. It doesn’t really matter. It’s got just the right amount of crunch. I use extra, because coffee cake needs a healthy layer of crumble. And of course the cinnamon is perfect for the holidays.
Finally, that cranberry layer. I probably used more than I needed to, which is why the sauce sank during baking. It’s not the prettiest of coffee cakes, but it tasted amazing. And I just love this cranberry sauce. It’s got orange zest and juice, to help balance the tartness of the cranberries. And it’s SO easy to make. You just cook all of the ingredients until it’s almost to a jam consistency. Then you’re done.
Altogether, this is such an easy, delicious, Christmas-y treat!
Key ingredients
Flour. Always spoon then level the flour so you don’t pack it in.
Sugar/brown sugar. Using both in the cake creates rise and flavor. Using just brown sugar in the crumb gives it that lovely crunch and almost caramelized flavor.
Cinnamon. A must! I only used this in the crumb, but you could absolutely add some to the cake itself! Start with just 1 teaspoon so the cake isn’t overwhelmed with it.
Butter. I used both salted and unsalted (European style, as it’s creamier and better for baking). If you only have salted, cut the salt in half in the cake. If you only have unsalted, add just a bit (1/8 teaspoon or a large pinch) to the crumb.
Baking powder. This helps create a lovely rise that’s not too airy but also not dense.
Salt. I prefer sea salt in my baking, but table salt works, too.
Greek yogurt. Use plain, full fat yogurt. Be sure it’s authentic, not thickened with things like milk powder. If there is excess water on top, just pour that out. You can sub sour cream, but it may have a different taste.
Eggs. Use fresh, room temperature eggs.
Oil. I prefer avocado or grape seed oil in baking (avoid extra virgin—those tend to be green). Vegetable or canola work, too.
Vanilla. Use pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste).
Cranberry orange compote. I used a little more than half a batch and saved the rest for eating with a spoon, because it’s basically a thick cranberry sauce.
How to make cranberry swirl coffee cake
Make the cranberry compote
1. Mix ingredients and cook until jammy. I cooked mine until it was about the consistency of a preserve. Let cool.
Make the crumb
2. Whisk flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Break up any big chunks of brown sugar.
3. Stir in melted butter. Don’t let it turn into a paste, but be sure all the flour’s mixed in and large crumbs are created. You can also use softened butter for this step.
Make the cake batter
4. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Sifting helps create that super tender texture.
5. Whisk yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and oil. Whisk until well combined, about a minute.
6. Slowly whisk in melted butter. Whisk quickly while slowly streaming in the butter to avoid scrambling the eggs.
7. Whisk in sugars. Whisk about a minute, to partially dissolve the sugar.
8. Fold in dry ingredients. It should still be lumpy but have no visibly dry streaks of flour.
Assemble and bake
9. Pour half the batter in the a prepared pan.
10. Spread cranberry compote. Drop it by small spoonfuls, as it’s hard to spread on batter. You can optionally swirl it with a knife so it’s more mixed into the batter and not such a prominent layer.
11. Spoon remaining batter on top. Spooning helps the crumb stay put and not smear into the batter.
12. Sprinkle with remaining crumb topping. Gently pat it in so it sinks into the cake just a bit.
13. Bake. Tent with foil halfway, to avoid burning the top. Bake until a toothpick comes out with just some moist crumbs.
Enjoy!
Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe
How do I know it’s baked through?
I always use a toothpick, but a small knife or kebab skewer will work, too. You want to catch the cake when it’s just barely stopped being raw, as it will cook a little more in the pan while it cools. The top will not change color as much as other cakes, due to the cinnamon sugar layer. So try to use a toothpick to check for moist crumbs but no raw batter.
Do I have to sift the flour?
Yes! Sifting is key in baking, particularly in anything cake-y. It helps it mix into the wet ingredients more easily, preventing clumps as well as circumventing the urge to over-stir and create a tough, rubbery texture.
Spoon then level your flour
Don’t scoop your flour! I never knew this until I started blogging, but it seriously makes a big difference. You will end up with roughly 25% more flour than the recipe called for if you just doonk (official baking term right there) your measuring spoon into the flour container and scoop. Gently spoon your flour into your measuring cup then level it off with the back of a knife. Trust me! It makes a difference.
Can I make this in a fluted pan?
Yes! Fluted coffee cakes are pretty classic. Just don’t use a bundt, as those get turned upside down, which won’t work with a crumb topping. Also, be sure to grease the corners, and fluted pans can be more prone to sticking.
Can I make this in a 9x13 pan?
Yes! Just double the recipe and make it in a 9x13. It may rise a bit over the top, but it shouldn’t spill over the edges. You could also make the single recipe in a 9x13, but it will be quite a bit shorter than what’s pictured here. However, if that’s what you’d like, go for it!
My tools
Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.
Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)
8” round pan (pictured) or 8x8 square pan
All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier as the batter doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)
Cranberry Swirl Coffee Cake
- prep time: 15-20 minutes
- bake time: 40-50 minutes
- total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
servings: 12-16
Ingredients:
for the streusel topping
- 1 ½ cups (204g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
- 1 ½ tablespoons (12g) ground cinnamon
- ½ cup (113g or 1 stick) salted butter, melted (add ⅛ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter)
for the cake
- 1 ½ cups (238g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ teaspoons (8g) baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (3g) salt
- 1 cup (244g) plain whole milk Greek Yogurt (can sub sour cream)*
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (56g) avocado or vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons (56g) melted unsalted butter
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
- one batch cranberry orange compote (you may have some leftover)
Instructions:
- Make the cranberry orange compote first, so it can cool before you are ready to use it. You can easily start on the coffee cake once it’s done, as this should be enough cooling time. Or, you can make it up to a week in advance and store it in the fridge. You may need to give it a good stir or add a splash of orange juice to make it more spreadable.
- Preheat your oven to 350F/175C. Grease and flour an 8x8 square pan or an 8” round pan or spray with baking spray. If it’s prone to sticking, you can line it with parchment as well.
- Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and cinnamon spice. Add the butter and use your fingers or a fork to mix until crumbly and no dry flour remains. You want to make sure all of the flour is coated in butter, but don’t let it become a paste.
- Make the batter. Melt the butter and set aside. Don’t let it cool enough to solidify, but do let it cool somewhat before using.
- Using a large fine mesh sieve, sift then whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (or using a stand mixer and paddle attachment), whisk the Greek yogurt together with the vanilla, eggs, and oil until well combined. Slowly stream in the melted butter while whisking quickly (this prevents scrambling the eggs).
- Add the sugar and brown sugar to the wet ingredients and whisk for about 1 minute. You can whisk it by hand or, if using a stand or hand mixer, mix on medium.
- Add the flour mixture and stir gently until fully combined. I try to mostly fold it in. (If you’re unsure what folding means, you basically run a rubber spatula along the edge an entire turn around the bowl the pull the spatula toward the middle once you’ve come fully around the bowl, “folding” the batter on the edge into the middle part.) It may still have some lumps in it, but it shouldn’t look separated, chunky, or dry in spots.
- Pour about ½ of your batter into your prepared pan. Drop spoonfuls of the cranberry compote onto the batter, carefully spreading (or swirling) it. Avoid getting it all the way to the edge, as this can cause it to ooze out the sides when baking.
- Pour the remaining batter on top. Crumble the streusel on top. You don’t have to use all of it, but I like a healthy layer of crumble/streusel. Extras can easily be frozen and used on a future coffee cake.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs. Check early so it doesn’t over bake--you don’t want the toothpick coming out completely clean. About halfway through, tent the pan loosely with foil. Let cool in pan at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
Enjoy with your morning coffee!
Store leftovers in an airtight container or simply keep in the pan and cover well with plastic wrap or foil.
*If your Greek yogurt is especially watery, drain off excess liquid before using.
