Because I could…
I had a slice of cake before dinner.
I had a slice of cake after dinner.
I also had a slice of cake for lunch.
Being a grown-up doesn’t always suck 
One of my favorite baked goodies that we used to sell at my parents’ bakery was a Cream Cheese Cranberry Cake. I’ve also been thinking about the sour cream pound cake, but when it comes to baked goods, rule is that we have to eat what’s here before making something else. So maybe tomorrow?
What do I love about this cake? The cranberries. And the cake. The cake part is moist and a tad on the heavy side, as it should be with all that butter and cream cheese. Right after you turn it out of the pan to cool, it has this kind of chewy, sugary crust.
This goes away when you let it rest overnight covered like you’re supposed to. But I like to cut off any uneven parts from the bottom and eat them right away. Because quality assurance is the most important part of baking. I also like to serve it with a spoonful of sweetened whipped cream with just a hint of vanilla.
The cranberries offer a tart contrast to the cake. Raspberries also work nicely. If I could only get my hands on some superbly fresh blackberries like the ones that used to grow along our fence line as kids…
Cream Cheese Cranberry Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, tossed with 1 Tbsp flour
Whipped cream, optional
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with baking spray, coating well.
Beat butter and cream cheese until combined. Add sugar and turn mixer to med-high and cream for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time until combined. Add lemon juice and zest, almond extract, and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Turn mixer to low and add salt. Add the cake flour in two batches. Fold in the cranberries.
Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake 60-70 minutes, until the cake has browned and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with only moist crumbs attached. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a rack and cool completely. Cover tightly overnight (I put it in on a cake plate and cover with a glass dome) and enjoy the next day. (You can certainly eat it the same day but it gets better with an overnight resting period.)
Yields: 1 bundt cake, 8-12 servings depending on slice size
November 16th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Oh wow. I want this so badly. This sounds great. I’m bookmarking this. Lovely photos, too.
November 16th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Haha! Great minds think alike! I love cranberries. Your cake looks great!
November 16th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Looks super yummy!!! I love desserts with fruit- you can convince yourself it’s somehow healthy for you!!
November 16th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I just love cranberries in any way, shape or form, and I can’t wait to try this cake. I agree with you, being a grown-up isn’t always bad, especially when you can eat this scrumptious cake whenever you’d like!
November 16th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
This cake looks amazing! I’m going to have to make this soon!
November 16th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Looks simply divine.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Thanks for the recipe, it looks soo yummy. I will make this tonight!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Oh yum! I see myself making one of these in the near future.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
The texture looks great, and so pretty, like jeweled with the cranberries.
Also, it’s a “rule” to eat cake for breakfast if I have any cake. =D
November 17th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
This looks great! I love all the cranberries specking the cake like tart pieces of goodness
November 17th, 2009 at 8:52 pm
mm looks very yummy!
November 19th, 2009 at 12:49 am
Oooooh…I think I’m going to take the cranberries I bought for T-day and make this instead!
November 22nd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Do you think these would work as cupcakes? I don’t have a bundt pan (yet) and want to make this as cupcakes for the family gathering on Thursday!
Could you kindly email or post and let me know (anyone?)
November 22nd, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Stacy - I think the cake might be too heavy for cupcakes. They would be more muffin-like and I wouldn’t expect them to rise much (they definitely won’t dome).
November 29th, 2009 at 4:55 am
The cake looks delicious! Makes me crave cranberries even more!
December 14th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
This cake looks like a perfect holiday treat. A warm slice on x-mas morning with a hot cup of coffee…now I’m drooling! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
December 29th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Oh wow, this is REALLY good. The top stuck to my pan though, and I thought I sprayed it well enough. Guess I’ll have to do it more the next time. And yes, there will be a next time. Thank you
January 4th, 2010 at 1:32 am
Bianca, I have found that putting a light coating of shortening on a bundt pan then dusting with a mixture of sugar & flour before pouring in the batter works really well for getting the cake out without any tears or sticking