This cranberry citrus coffee cake is loaded with orange and lemon zest and topped with a crunchy and buttery walnut streusel topping – the perfect refreshing dessert for the new year!
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The first recipe of 2021 is here! I thought I’d kick off the new year with a refreshing breakfast option for you to make one weekend. January is great time to do some baking since things tend to slow down! It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy some of the activities that you may not have had time to do during the chaos of Christmas. You can even have little helpers work on this one with you! My sidekick, Myra, really enjoys all of the winter baking and photo taking.
If you love bright and refreshing citrus mixed with the tartness of cranberries, then you will love this easy coffee cake recipe!
How to Make the Best Cranberry Citrus Coffee Cake
This cranberry citrus coffee cake starts with a decadent sour cream coffee cake base. I love using sour cream in cakes, and especially coffee cakes, because it adds so much great moisture and texture! You will get such a deliciously dense coffee cake with the addition of a bit of sour cream to the batter!
Speaking of the batter, this one is quite thick. You’ll want to be sure to use a spatula to spread the batter evenly throughout your springform pan. And you may even want to bang the pan on the counter a few times after you add the batter. This will help the mixture to be evenly distributed throughout the cake pan!
Lastly, you will actually be sprinkling your cranberries on top of the batter once you add it to the springform pan. This ensures that the cranberries do not sink down to the bottom! They will be more evenly spread out throughout the coffee cake and will give it such a beautiful color!
How to Store Cranberry Coffee Cake
This refreshing coffee cake is so delicious, I doubt you will have any leftovers! But on the off chance that you do, you can store slices of leftover coffee cake individually wrapped at room temperature for up to two days. You can also put leftovers in the refrigerator, but this may dry out the cake a bit! I’d recommend to eat and keep at room temperature.
I hope that you are getting the chance to slow down for a bit as you enjoy the new year! If you have some spare time on your hands and want a cozy breakfast that will warm you on a cold January morning, definitely give this cranberry citrus coffee cake a try. It won’t disappoint!
If you are interested in other cozy breakfast recipes, check out these recipes below!
- Vanilla Bean Scones with Gooey Cinnamon Filling
- Caramel Apple Coffee Cake
- Dark Chocolate Mocha Muffins
As always, be sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram if you make my recipe or use #bucketsofyum in your photos! I love to see what you are baking.
Cranberry Citrus Coffee Cake with Vanilla Glaze
Ingredients
For the Walnut Streusel
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp orange zest (about one small orange)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
For the Cranberry Citrus Coffee Cake
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp orange zest (from about 2 large oranges)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (from 2-3 medium lemons)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup full fat sour cream (room temperature)
- ¼ cup whole milk (room temperature)
- 1¼ cup fresh or thawed cranberries (if using thawed, pat dry first)
For the Vanilla Glaze
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 2-4 tbsp milk
Instructions
For the Walnut Streusel
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, zests, and salt. Stir in walnuts. Add the melted butter, stirring until the mixture becomes crumbly. Use your hands to break up the mixture if needed! Set aside.
For the Cranberry Citrus Coffee Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray and flour, or you can use Pam for Baking instead (my personal favorite!)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, zests and vanilla.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Add the sour cream and milk, whisking until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula. Top with cranberries and sprinkle evenly with the prepared walnut streusel.
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with vanilla glaze and serve!
For the Vanilla Glaze
- While the cake is cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Add additional milk until desired consistency is reached.
- Drizzle on top of cooled cake.
Notes
- Slices of leftover coffee cake can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up 2 days.
- This recipe was tested at high altitude (5,800 feet in elevation) and works perfectly as written above
