Cranberry Orange Swirl Dessert (Printable Version)

A festive dessert featuring vibrant cranberry and orange swirls with tangy, sweet holiday notes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cranberry Swirl

01 - 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
02 - ½ cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 tablespoons orange juice
04 - 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

→ Orange Cake Batter

05 - 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
06 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
07 - ¼ teaspoon baking soda
08 - ¼ teaspoon salt
09 - ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
10 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
11 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
12 - ½ cup sour cream
13 - ¼ cup fresh orange juice
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

→ Decoration (Optional)

16 - ¼ cup powdered sugar
17 - Orange zest or sugared cranberries

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
02 - Combine cranberries, sugar, orange juice, and zest in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until cranberries burst and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then puree or mash until smooth.
03 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
04 - Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
05 - Beat in sour cream, orange juice, vanilla extract, and orange zest until evenly combined.
06 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated without overmixing.
07 - Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Spoon half of the cranberry mixture over the batter. Add remaining batter, then dollop remaining cranberry mixture on top.
08 - Use a skewer or knife to gently swirl the cranberry and orange batters in a spiral pattern, being careful not to overmix.
09 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10 - Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally dust with powdered sugar and garnish with additional orange zest or sugared cranberries before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • That gorgeous spiral of cranberry ribboned through golden cake looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but the technique is surprisingly forgiving and takes just minutes
  • The balance of tart cranberries against sweet orange crumb is absolutely addictive—it hits that perfect sweet-and-tangy note that feels both festive and sophisticated
  • It's elegant enough to impress at a dinner party but simple enough that even novice bakers can nail it on the first try
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients aren't just a suggestion—they emulsify properly and create a genuinely lighter crumb. I learned this after making dense cake after dense cake with cold eggs
  • The swirl is about restraint, not aggression. Over-swirling just muddles the beautiful colors into a brownish mess. Gentle is the secret
  • Don't skip the 10-minute cooling period in the pan. I thought I was clever skipping this once, and the cake's bottom became a soggy mess. Those 10 minutes prevent that disaster
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester for orange zest—it captures those fragrant oils in a way that box graters simply can't match
  • The cranberry mixture thickens more as it cools, so don't worry if it seems a bit loose when you remove it from heat. By the time you layer it, it'll be the perfect consistency for swirling
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