Cranberry Apple Cake

Realizing I bought too many bags of fresh cranberries, I decided that baking a cake with some of them would be a good idea.

As cranberries pair well with apples, I quickly adapted my go-to dairy free “all in one bowl” apple cake recipe, to fit the addition of fresh cranberries, by baking it longer, and on lower temperatures.

Using hard apple cider gave the batter a lighter texture, and enhanced the flavor and aroma of the apples, while cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, added more layers of aroma to the cake.

This simple homey cake will delight anyone who enjoys moist and tangy fruit cakes. The cake can be served as a light dessert for lunch, and is also perfect for serving at breakfast or brunch. Try it and enjoy.

 

 

Makes: 20-24

Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 1 hour

 

Ingredients:

4 large crisp sweet golden apples

1 bag (12 oz/(340 grams) fresh cranberries

3 L eggs

1 tsp cinnamon powder

¼ tsp allspice powder

1 tsp vanilla

1¼ cups sugar (add ¼ cup more, if using tart apples)

¾ cup hard apple cider

½ cup oil

2 cups flour

1 Tbs baking powder

¼ tsp salt

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a 9”x13” (23×33 cm) pan with baking paper.
2. Peel and core the apples, coarsely grate n a food processor, and place in a medium bowl.
3. Using the metal blade, roughly chop the cranberries, and mix with the grated apples.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and sugar. Add the hard cider and mix. Add the oil and mix again. Add the flour, baking powder and salt, and mix briefly, to a smooth batter.
5. Add the apples and cranberries, mix to combine with a spatula, and pour into the lined pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour, until the top and sides of the cake are golden, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out fairly dry (the cake should be moist).
7. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Holding the baking paper, transfer to a rack, to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, transfer to a cutting board and cut into 20-24 portions.