Description
Cranberry Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Buttercream brings festive winter flavors dancing across your holiday table. Layers of zesty orange-infused cake paired with tart cranberry filling create a delightful dessert perfect for sharing with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¾ cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Supporting Ingredients:
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling and Buttercream Ingredients:
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by greasing and flouring them thoroughly. Set your oven to precisely 350°F.
- Whisk together 2 ½ cups flour, 2 ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt in a medium bowl until completely combined.
- Cream 1 cup softened butter with 1 ¾ cups sugar in a large mixing bowl until the mixture becomes pale and airy. Your goal is a light, fluffy texture.
- Add 4 eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Mix in 1 tbsp orange zest, ½ cup orange juice, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, alternating with 1 cup buttermilk. Mix just until the batter looks smooth and no flour streaks remain.
- Divide the batter equally between the three prepared pans. Spread it evenly to ensure consistent cake layers.
- Bake at 350°F for 22-25 minutes. Your cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cakes from the oven and let them cool in pans for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Create cranberry filling by combining 2 cups cranberries, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup orange juice, and 1 tsp orange zest in a saucepan.
- Simmer the cranberry mixture over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The berries should burst and the sauce will thicken. Let it cool entirely.
- Prepare buttercream by beating 1 cup butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add 4 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp orange juice, 1 tsp orange zest, and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
- Beat the buttercream until it becomes light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Assemble the cake by placing the first layer on a serving plate. Spread a thin buttercream layer, then spoon cranberry filling on top.
- Add the second cake layer and repeat the buttercream and cranberry filling process.
- Place the final cake layer on top. Cover the entire cake with remaining buttercream, smoothing the surface carefully.
- Optionally garnish with fresh cranberries and additional orange zest for a beautiful presentation.
Notes
- Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing to ensure smooth, even blending and prevent lumpy batter.
- Zest oranges carefully to avoid the bitter white pith, using only the bright orange outer layer for maximum citrus flavor.
- Let cake layers cool completely before assembling to prevent buttercream from melting and filling from sliding.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with a high-quality gluten-free flour blend and add xanthan gum for better texture.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 470 kcal
- Sugar: 55 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 68 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg