Pumpkin Cranberry Cake Recipe

Pumpkin and cranberry are two foods that become quite popular around the holidays, both separately and together. If you've never had a pumpkin and cranberry treat, you're truly missing out — the flavor combination is beyond delicious! Recipe developer Hayley MacLean knows just how well the flavors go together, and that's why she's crafted this pumpkin cranberry cake recipe. Though it's a simple cake, it's packed with festive flavors and truly encompasses the warmth of the holiday season.

"What I love about this cake is the tart bursts throughout the super moist, spiced cake," MacLean raves. "The small bits of cranberry add such great texture and flavor to this seasonal dessert — it is the perfect way to end a cozy, winter meal." Not only does she love the cake itself, but MacLean is a huge fan of the pumpkin/cranberry flavor combo in general. "The earthy, sweet flavor of the pumpkin [is] perfectly enhanced by the bright, tart cranberry — and the warming spices in the mix blend everything together perfectly," she explains. If you're looking for the perfect festive dessert that conveniently could serve as a sweet breakfast, this pumpkin cranberry cake will become a go-to.

As with any cake recipe, you'll need some ingredients before you can begin baking. For starters, you'll need unsalted and melted butter, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, a can of pumpkin puree, and some Greek yogurt. You'll also need some all-purpose flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Of course, you'll want to round up some fresh cranberries, which should be chopped for this recipe. Finally, you'll want a little bit of powdered sugar to dust the cake and give it a beautiful, snow-like glow.

Now that you have the ingredients sorted, you can dive right into this pumpkin cranberry cake recipe. First, preheat your oven to 350 F so it's ready to go when you're ready to bake. Additionally, grease a 9x13-inch baking pan to ensure that your cake doesn't stick.

Next up, grab a large mixing bowl, and start adding in the wet ingredients, including the butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, pumpkin puree, and Greek yogurt. Mix all of these ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and evenly distributed, then set the bowl aside for a moment.

In a separate bowl, you can begin mixing the dry ingredients. Add in the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these ingredients together, then gradually pour the dry mixture into the bowl with the wet mixture. Mix all of the ingredients until they're just combined, forming a cohesive cake batter that will have a wonderfully festive orange color thanks to the pumpkin. 

Now, grab the chopped cranberries, and gently fold them into the cake batter, making sure that they're evenly distributed throughout the cake. Finally, pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Once your cake is ready to go in the pan, pop it into the preheated oven. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow it to cook for 10 to 15 minutes, then dust it with the powdered sugar. When you're ready to serve, you can optionally add some more powdered sugar for extra sweetness, and then you're ready to enjoy!

"Making a spiced cream cheese frosting for this cake would totally take it to the next level," MacLean suggests of a possible upgrade. "It is also perfect served with a hot cup of coffee or a scoop of vanilla ice cream — total heaven!" With each bite, you'll enjoy the warmth of the pumpkin and spices alongside the subtle tartness of the cranberries and sweetness of the powdered sugar — it doesn't get much better than that. And finally, as for leftovers, MacLean says that they will keep for five to seven days in the fridge, or up to two months in the freezer.