Tangy Cranberry Orange Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

This cranberry orange cake with white chocolate frosting is a white frosting Christmas cake I’d happily put in the middle of a Christmas dessert table or any time of the year, actually. There are a few parts to make, but none of them are particularly difficult. 

I actually like that the cranberry filling can cool while the cakes bake, so everything moves along nicely. If you’re planning your holiday baking, this Easy Sweet Potato Cheesecake & Marshmallow Meringue is another lovely festive dessert to try. Keep reading because I’ll show you how I layer this cake without having the cranberry filling escape out the sides.

Jump to:

• Video Instructions
• Try This Cranberry Orange Cake with White Chocolate Frosting
• Why You’ll Love It
• Ingredients
• How to Make Cranberry Orange Cake with White Chocolate Frosting
• Recipe Tips
• What Can You Serve With This?
• Recipe

Video Instructions

Try This Cranberry Orange Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

If you like sponge cakes that aren’t just sweet on sweet, this one is worth making. The tart cranberry filling cuts through the white chocolate buttercream, and fresh orange runs through both the cake and frosting.

It also makes a gorgeous white chocolate Christmas cake once sliced. Those bright cranberry layers against the pale cake and frosting do most of the decorating work for you, which I’m certainly not going to complain about.

Why You’ll Love It

• Fresh and fruity: The fresh cranberries and orange keep this cake bright rather than making it too rich.
• Lovely texture: You get soft cake, thick cranberry filling, and creamy white chocolate frosting all in the same slice.
• Great for Christmas: The red cranberry layers and white frosting already look festive, so there’s no need for loads of decorations.
• Can be made ahead: I actually prefer assembling this beforehand because the cake needs several hours in the fridge anyway.
• Worth the layers: It looks like you spent all day fussing over this white chocolate cranberry cake. You don’t have to tell anyone otherwise.

Ingredients

• Cranberries: These give the filling its tart flavor and stunning red color. Fresh or thawed cranberries both work. I cook them until soft and then mash or blend them depending on how smooth I want the filling.
• Fresh orange: I use both the juice and zest because they do slightly different jobs. The zest gives the cake a stronger orange aroma, and the juice adds fresh citrus flavor to the cake, cranberry filling, and frosting.
• White chocolate: This is the main flavor in the buttercream, so I recommend using a good-quality white chocolate bar that you actually enjoy eating. It melts more smoothly than chocolate chips and gives the frosting a much nicer texture.
• Butter: Room-temperature butter is important for both the cake and frosting. Soft butter creams properly with the sugar and also gives the white chocolate frosting its smooth, fluffy consistency.

How to Make Cranberry Orange Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottoms and sides of two 8-inch (20cm) baking pans with parchment paper.

2. Add the cranberries, water, orange juice, cornstarch, sugar, and cinnamon to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the cranberries soften. 

3. Blend with an immersion blender or mash with a potato masher, then cook for another 5-6 minutes until thickened and reduced by about one-third. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

4. For the cake, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. 

5. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, oil, and sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy. 

6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and orange zest. 

7. Add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients alternately, starting with some of the dry flour mixture, followed by the milk, more dry ingredients, orange juice, and finally the remaining dry ingredients. Mix only until combined.

8. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 28-32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don't overbake them, or those lovely soft layers can quickly become dry. Cool completely on a wire rack.

9. For the frosting, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes until soft and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. 

10. Mix in the melted and cooled white chocolate, then add 1-2 tablespoons orange juice until the frosting is creamy and spreadable. Add a pinch of salt if needed.

11. Trim the cake tops if necessary, then cut each cake horizontally in half to make four layers. Place the first layer onto a serving plate and spread with ¼ of the buttercream, leaving the frosting slightly higher around the outside to create a little wall. Spoon ⅓ of the cranberry filling into the center.

12. Repeat with the next two cake layers, frosting, and cranberry filling. Add the final cake layer and use the remaining frosting to lightly cover the top and sides. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Cook the cranberry filling until it has properly thickened and reduced by about one-third. If it’s still runny, it will make assembling the cake much harder.
• Let the cranberry filling cool completely before it goes anywhere near the buttercream. Warm cranberry sauce and buttercream are not friends.
• If your cakes have domed tops, trim them before stacking. Flat layers make a much more stable cranberry orange layer cake.
• Let the melted white chocolate cool for about 10 minutes before adding it to the frosting. It should still be liquid but shouldn’t feel hot.
• Build the buttercream slightly higher around the edge of the cake on each layer before adding the cranberry filling. That little frosting border is what stops the filling from making a run for freedom.
• Don't overmix the cake batter once you start adding the flour. Mix just until everything comes together.
• Take the finished cake out of the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before serving. The cake and buttercream taste much better once they’ve lost that refrigerator chill.

What Can You Serve With This?

• Hot coffee
• Black tea
• Mulled cider
• Fresh berries
• Vanilla ice cream
• Whipped cream

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