Description
Ina Garten’s easy cranberry & apple cake blends sweet and tart flavors in a rustic dessert. Home bakers can enjoy this classic New England-inspired treat with simple ingredients and straightforward preparation.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz (340g) fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ pound (113g or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tbsp grated orange zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1–1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat the oven to 325°F (170°C) and generously grease a 10-inch glass pie dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Fruit Melange: Combine cranberries, apples, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl, allowing the ingredients to macerate and develop rich, complex flavors.
- Batter Creation: Whip eggs in an electric mixer until voluminous, then gradually integrate granulated sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sour cream, blending until smooth and cohesive.
- Batter Finalization: Gently incorporate flour and salt on low speed, mixing until just combined to maintain a delicate texture and prevent overworking the batter.
- Assembly and Topping: Distribute the fruit mixture evenly across the prepared dish, pour the batter over the top, ensuring complete coverage, and sprinkle with a cinnamon-sugar blend for an aromatic finish.
- Baking Process: Position the pie dish in the preheated oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, watching for a golden surface and clean toothpick test, indicating the cake’s perfect doneness.
- Cooling and Serving: Allow the cake to rest briefly after removing from the oven, letting the flavors meld and intensify before serving warm or at room temperature for maximum enjoyment.
Notes
- Fruit Preparation: Mix cranberries and apples with sugar and spices at least 10 minutes before baking to allow flavors to develop and create a richer taste profile.
- Batter Mixing Technique: Avoid overmixing the cake batter to prevent a tough, dense texture; blend just until ingredients are incorporated for a light, tender crumb.
- Temperature Precision: Use room temperature ingredients, especially eggs and sour cream, to ensure even mixing and a smoother cake consistency.
- Cooling Strategy: Let the cake rest for 15-20 minutes after baking to allow the fruit juices to set and make slicing easier, preventing a soggy bottom.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 50mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 70mg