Recipe: Cranberry Spice Cake makes a perfect holiday-time hostess gift

The tartness of fresh cranberries pairs well with sweet, buttery baked goods. This sweet-tart cake is delicious for breakfast or served as a holiday dessert accompanied with plenty of maple syrup-spiked whipped cream.

I love to give it as a holiday-time hostess gift. It can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Fresh cranberries are harvested in the fall and are generally available fresh from October through December. Freeze them for use throughout the year; simply pop them as is in the freezer sealed in the plastic bag. There are three cups of cranberries in a 12-ounce bag.

Cranberry Spice Cake

Yield: 8 servings

Cake:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (8 ounces) fresh (or frozen, thawed) cranberries
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup apple cider or apple juice

Lemon glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Optional for serving: Citrus-Cranberry Compote, see cook’s notes

Cook’s notes: For the compote, finely grate zest from 1 orange and set aside. Using a sharp paring knife cut off peel and white pith from orange. Working over a small bowl, cut between membranes to release segments into bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine zest, 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen cranberries, 1 cup maple syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Cook on medium, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst, 5 to 8 minutes. Cool completely. Stir in orange segments. Cover and chill.

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom with parchment paper; coat paper with spray. Whisk flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Pulse cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed; set aside.

2. Stir sugar, brown sugar, and oil in another medium bowl to blend. Add eggs one at a time, stirring to blend between additions. Whisk in sour cream, orange zest, lemon zest, and vanilla.

3. Whisk in dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with apple cider (or juice) in 2 additions and whisking to blend. Fold in chopped cranberries. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.

4. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted into center of cake comes out almost clean, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside of pan to release cake; turn out cake onto rack. Peel off parchment paper, then flip cake and let cool for 20 minutes.

5. For lemon glaze: Whisk powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Spread glaze over warm cake, allowing it to drip down sides. Let stand until glaze becomes crackly, about 1 hour. Serve at room temperature, with compote spooned next to it.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

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