Cranberry Coffee Cake

4.86 from 7 votes

Vanilla cake, topped with a layer of cranberries, orange mascarpone, and streusel, this cranberry coffee cake is perfect for brunch.

Prep Time45

Cook Time1

Total Time1 45

Course: Afternoon Kaffee, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American, German

Keyword: cake, Cranberry, Streusel

Servings:

Calories: 498kcal

Equipment

9" Spring Form Pan

Ingredients

Cranberry Filling

680 grams cranberries 15 set aside for topping
50 grams brown sugar
75 milliliters orange juice or pomegranate juice

Mascarpone filling

226 grams mascarpone room temperature
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 orange zest
50 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Streusel

175 grams all purpose flour
125 grams granulated sugar
125 grams butter very soft
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla Cake

150 grams all purpose flour
150 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs large room temperature
125 grams butter soft
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cranberry Filling

In a large pot, add in all of the cranberries except about 15 of them. Add in the brown sugar and juice. Place the pot over the stove and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it becomes thick and reduced.
Transfer the cranberry sauce to a large shallow dish to cool it down while prepping the rest of the layers.

Streusel

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour and sugar. Then add in the butter and vanilla.
Rub the butter into the dry ingredients using a fork until all of the butter has been fully mixed in.

Mascarpone Layer

In a medium mixing bowl, add in the room temperature mascarpone along with the orange zest, sugar, orange juice, vanilla and salt.
Use a spoon or rubber spatula to stir together and set aside.

Assemble and Bake the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F and place a rack in the center.
Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper or a baking spray with flour in it.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Then add in the soft butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Use the paddle attachment to mix the batter first on low speed for 10 seconds, then turn it to high for 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure the batter is fully mixed.
Spoon a large dollop, just under a quarter cup of the orange mascarpone layer, into the batter and use the spatula to combine.
Pour the cake batter into the lined springform pan.
Use a rubber spatula to level out the surface of the cake.
Dollop the mascarpone filling over the top and gently spread it out into an even layer.
Dollop the cranberry sauce over the mascarpone layer and spread out to create an even layer.
Clump the streusel and sprinkle it over the cranberry.
Sprinkle the cranberries that were set aside over the top.
Place the cake into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the cake 180 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes.
Insert a tooth pick into the center, if it comes out with cake batter on it or the cake doesn't seem solid, bake for another 5-10 minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife along the edge between the cake and the pan and then remove the spring form ring.
Ideally allow the cake to cool for at least 20 more minutes before cutting into and serving.

Notes

Allow the mascarpone to come to room temperature before trying to stir it together with the sugar and orange juice, this will give you a soft consistency without having to whip air into it with a mixer.
Fresh or frozen cranberries berries will work for both the filling and topping.
Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature - this will help get a smooth and fluffy cake batter.
If you don't have a 9" springform pan, a regular 9" metal cake pan will work too!
This cake can be difficult to tell when it is finished baking, but if a toothpick is inserted in the center, just make sure no raw cake batter comes out with it.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, or ideally overnight, before releasing the spring form so that it has a chance to set slightly.

Nutrition