Cranberries are one of those foods that signify the holiday season. They’re festive + bright both in flavor and taste and I love cooking with them this time of year. Seeing that it’s Christmas in a couple weeks, you’ll be hard pressed not to find them in a dish or cocktail no matter where you turn.

This cake is simple + packed with flavor; sure to delight any guest at your table. The cranberries provide a great burst of tartness to the sweet cake and they balance one another in just the right manner. Use it as your Christmas day centerpiece with some sprigs of rosemary & sugared cranberries surrounding the cake – edible centerpieces are my favorite kind. If you want a bigger punch of sweetness, drizzle the top with some lemon glaze.

Happy cooking & thanks for stopping by, friends!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar + 2 tbsp for coating the cranberries
• 2 cups unbleached, AP flour (I used King Arthur)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup whole milk
• the zest of 1 medium sized lemon
• 12 oz. fresh cranberries

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease a loaf pan & set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cranberries + 2 tbsp sugar, set aside.
3. Using the paddle attachment in your Kitchen-Aid mixer, cream together the butter + 1 cup sugar for 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, milk & vanilla extract and lemon zest.
4. Turning the mixer to low speed, add in the baking powder & flour and mix until just combined.
5. Using a spatula, gently fold in the sugared cranberries. Transfer the batter to the greased loaf pan.
6. Bake 55-60 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing from the loaf pan.