Gluten Free Cranberry Cake

This pretty cranberry cake is a homey, rustic bake that's easily gluten-free and just crammed with seasonal berries. It makes a lovely holiday dessert, served with whipped cream or ice cream, AND it works as a fantastic morning treat when you need a little pick-me-up.

Cut the cake into thick squares and nibble on them in between sips of hot cocoa (or coffee) while wrapping gifts. I love this little beauty at Christmas brunch with gluten free gingerbread muffins and slices of gluten free quiche.

Drizzle the top of the cake with lemon glaze for an extra-special finish or serve this cake plain - you absolutely can't go wrong!

Why I Love This Holiday Cake

This is an especially lovely cake to serve during the winter months when cranberries are in season - like persimmons (which are perfect in gluten free persimmon cake), you can't find them all year round. During cranberries' short tenure, I like to make the most of them. This cake is:

• Special. As mentioned, you won't make this cake in, say, August, so it feels extra festive and special during November and December. Loads of juicy, tart cranberries make this cake truly stand out.
• A one-bowl recipe! The holidays are so busy, a one-bowl recipe feels like a gift. The cake batter comes together in mere minutes and needs just a whisk and a spoon.
• Perfectly tart-sweet. This cake leans more sweet than tart, but the pop of tangy cranberries balances the soft, buttery cake so nicely.

Ingredients Needed

I've outlined what you'll need for this cake below. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!

• Butter - Unsalted butter softened to room temperature is best.
• Granulated sugar
• Egg - I used a large egg.
• Vanilla - Use pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.
• Baking powder
• Salt - I always use fine sea salt, and table salt works, too.
• Gluten-free flour - I chose to use my homemade gluten free flour blend here, and you can also use another 1:1 gluten-free flour blend of your choice. I originally wrote this recipe to use a mix of oat flour, almond flour, and sweet white rice flour, but I've updated it to streamline it a bit. If you wish to use my previous blend, use 1 cup gluten-free oat flour (120 grams) + ½ cup almond flour (60 grams) + ½ cup sweet white rice flour (100 grams).
• Milk - I used whole milk.
• Cranberries - Fresh or frozen cranberries are fine here, with no need to defrost the cranberries if you use frozen.

Variations to Try

• Lemon zest - Rub the zest of 1 lemon into the sugar before creaming it with the butter to infuse the cake with a touch of lemon.
• Orange zest - Or try this technique, which releases the oils in the citrus peel, into the sugar. Cranberries and orange are a classic combination.
• Walnuts - For a bit of crunch, stir in ½ cup of chopped walnuts to the batter.

Tips & Recipe Notes

• The batter will be thick. Note that the batter will be quite thick, especially after adding the cranberries. Don't worry, this is normal! Use a rubber spatula to spread and smooth it into the pan.
• Try different-sized pans. I like a thicker cake, so I baked this in an 8x8-inch square pan. A 9x9-inch pan also works nicely. Or, bake it in a loaf pan or an 8 or 9-inch (lined) cake round for a more formal cake.
• Fresh or frozen cranberries? Either fresh or frozen berries work fine. I like to buy cranberries in November and throw them in the freezer so that I can bake with them whenever I want. You don't need to defrost them first; just add them frozen to the batter.
• To make dairy-free: Substitute the butter with non-dairy butter or coconut oil and substitute the milk with your favorite non-dairy milk.
• Toppings. Try the lemon glaze, or dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.
• To Serve: Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or a drizzle of salted caramel sauce.

Proper Storage

• Counter - Place the cake in an airtight container or cover the serving plate tightly and keep it on the counter for up to 3 days.
• Fridge - Cover the cake or place it in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer - Wrap the cake or slices of cake in plastic, place in a freezer-safe bag, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the cake in the freezer before serving.