Cranberries! I was really excited to discover that we were going to be cooking with cranberries as a secret ingredient. Not only are they great for us, they taste great, too.
Julie and I were on the same wavelength this week—both of us had cakes on the brain! You’ve had your yummy cranberry cheesecake—now you can have some cranberry cake for dessert! :) It’s okay—remember how good those cranberries are for you!
I like the way this cranberry cake looks on a plate—sort of candy cane-esque.
Christmassy Cranberry Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 sticks softened butter
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup diced dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup of chopped candied ginger
- 6 ounces white chocolate (cut in chunks)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
- 1/4 cup diced dried cranberries
- Grated lemon rind
Directions
Frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt.
Slowly mix in your flour (until it’s nice and smooth.)
Mix in (by hand) white chocolate, candied ginger, and 1/2 cup diced dried cranberries.
Grease a 10 x 15 inch pan. Pour batter into the pan and cover the bottom of the pan.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Your cake will have light brown edges.
Let your cake cool while you prepare the frosting and icing.
Frosting: Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and orange extract with your mixer.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake.
Sprinkle diced cranberries on the top.
Riley/Elizabeth
Pretty is as Pretty Dies –Elizabeth Spann Craig
Delicious and Suspicious (May 2010)—Riley Adams
http://mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com
REMEMBER, next month we’ll have a week of recipes with our new SECRET ingredient, provided by JANEL G, who just won this month's contest and a Junior’s Cheesecake!
But we’re going to have another Iron Chef contest !Check back soon for more details!
WOW! That is one beautiful photo and one gorgeous cake. I so love Christmas cakes. Your recipe is outstanding and a great way to use our secret ingredient.
ReplyDeleteWith all the baking over the last few weeks, I told my husband I'm going to be eating soup for the rest of winter. And your yummy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is on my list! For anyone who missed Riley's Butternut Squash Soup recipe just Click here.
Eat with joy, and have a...
Merry Christmas!
~Cleo
author of The Coffeehouse Mysteries
Coffeehouse Mystery.com
“Where coffee and crime are always brewing…”
Cleo Coyle on Twitter
The cake looks wonderful. I'd love a slice for breakfast, it is good for you after all. Never thought much about a cranberry cake, but I'll have to try this one.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I fixed your "Boiled Cookies" the other night and everyone loved the new name. And yes, I had some strange looks to start with but we all had a laugh about it. Your recipe name added to our holiday cheer, thanks.
We were on the same wavelength! Love this recipe. I just found out that my MIL is hosting Christmas dinner... this came out of the blue last night. I'm betting she'll want me to bring dessert. This one looks so festive and fun. They're going to love it.
ReplyDeleteJulie
what a great presentation look
ReplyDeletewonderful recipe
I bet the ginger gives this a nice zing! The red and white just says festive.
ReplyDeleteI'm a sucker for cream cheese frosting!
ReplyDeleteAnd this is a lovely cake. Can't wait
to try it!
The frosting looks so festive!
ReplyDeleteAck! This looks so good I want to bite the computer screen. Do you deliver?
ReplyDelete~ Krista
Cleo--I hope you enjoy it. :)
ReplyDeleteMason--It's got to be an old Southern thing. That recipe card was soooo old. But it *clearly* said "Boiled Cookies." I had to laugh!
A Year on the Grill--Thanks so much!
Janel--I love ginger! It does add a little something.
Jenn--I think I could eat cream cheese on *any*thing! :)
Kris--Thanks!
Krista--Oh, a cake delivery service! I'd SO sign up for that...