The Holiday Cake Everyone Will Talk About (Cranberry Orange!)

By Sugar Spun Run · 180 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour four 8-inch round pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Set aside.
2. Beat the butter until light and creamy, then add the sugar, oil and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in the vanilla.
3. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter in alternating additions, starting and ending with flour, stirring just until combined after each addition.
4. Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry, grease-free metal or glass bowl: start on low until foamy, then increase to high until they form stiff peaks.
5. Fold the whipped egg whites gently into the batter until no streaks remain, without overmixing.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the pans. Bake two pans at a time at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick in the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges, invert onto a rack and cool completely.
8. For the filling, dissolve the sugars, orange juice and water in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the cranberries, bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring often, until the berries burst and the mixture is jam-like, about 7 to 10 minutes. Blend smooth with an immersion blender, then chill in a heatproof bowl.
9. For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and orange zest until smooth. Add the powdered sugar gradually, about 1 cup (125g) at a time, scraping the bowl well. Stir in the orange juice, then the vanilla.
10. Once the cakes and filling are completely cool, pipe a dam of frosting around the edge of the first layer, fill it with one third of the cranberry filling and spread evenly. Repeat with the next two layers, then top with the fourth layer and cover the cake with a thin layer of the remaining frosting.
11. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Summarized from Sugar Spun Run's video. Watch it for the details.

More recipes with

EggBrown sugarCream cheeseOrangeButtermilkCranberry