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    Grits and Pinecones » Recipes » Desserts

    Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce

    December 18, 2018 by Sharon Rigsby, Updated October 15, 2020 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce Pinterest pin

    A beautiful and festive dessert, Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce will make a unique sweet ending for your Christmas meal. 

    Cranberry Cake with Hard sauce in a Christmas bowl.

    Full of fresh tart cranberries, this cake has it all; the colors of the season, a winning combination of flavors and textures, and the creamy, blissful yumminess of a decadent hard sauce.

    Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce is my new favorite dessert. A not too sweet, super moist cake, the texture is more of a cross between pudding and cake.  It’s denser than a regular cake and out of this world delicious! It’s so good, my husband and I both had a piece for breakfast this morning. It is the holidays after all…

    Whatever you do, don’t skip the Hard Sauce. This scrumptious sauce made with butter, sugar, and cream is surprisingly easy to make and elevates this old-fashioned dessert into the stratosphere!

    Speaking of old-fashioned, the recipe for Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce was handed down to my friend Sarah Doctor-Williams by her grandmother.  Sarah was kind enough to share it with me, so now I can share it with you!

    Cranberry Recipes:

    If you like cranberries as I do, be sure to check these other delicious and popular recipes which feature cranberries: Easy No-Bake Cranberry Cheesecake, Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip, Cranberry Sauce with Oranges and Apples, Christmas Cranberry Pie, and 3-Ingredient Easy Cranberry Brie Bites.

    How to make Cranberry Cake:

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

    Add butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt, milk, and cornstarch to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes.

    Mixing the batter for Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce.

    Fold in cranberries and gently stir to combine with the cake batter.

    Pour the cake batter into a 2-quart casserole dish which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

    Cranberry Cake ready for the oven.

    Bake for 30 minutes or until the batter is just set and the top has started to brown.

    Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce just out of the oven.

    How to make Hard Sauce:

    While the cake bakes, combine butter, sugar, and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

    To serve, pour a healthy amount of sauce over each piece of cake.

    Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce on a red napkin in a Christmas bowl.

    If you make this recipe, please be sure to rate it and leave a comment below. I love hearing from you! Also, please follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

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    Cranberry Cake with Hard sauce in a Christmas bowl.

    Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce Recipe

    Sharon Rigsby
    A beautiful and festive dessert, Easy Cranberry Cake with Hard Sauce will make a unique sweet ending for your Christmas meal. Full of fresh tart cranberries, this cake has it all; the colors of the season, a winning combination of flavors and textures, and the creamy, blissful yumminess of a decadent hard sauce.
    4.75 from 16 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Total Time 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 servings
    Calories 429 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Cranberry Cake Ingredients:

    • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
    • 1-¼ cups granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
    • 2-½ cups all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1-¼ cups whole milk
    • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 2-½ cups fresh cranberries can use frozen cranberries

    Hard Sauce Ingredients:

    • 1 cup unsalted butter
    • 1-⅔ cups granulated sugar
    • 1 cup heavy cream

    Instructions
     

    Cranberry Cake Directions:

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Add butter, sugar, vanilla, flour, salt, milk, and cornstarch to a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes.
    • Fold in cranberries and gently stir to combine with the cake batter.
    • Pour the cake batter into a 2-quart casserole dish which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes or until the batter is just set and the top has started to brown.

    Hard Sauce Directions:

    • While the cake bakes, combine butter, sugar, and cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth and creamy.

    To Serve:

    • To serve, pour a healthy amount of the Hard Sauce over each piece of cake.

    Notes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 429kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 32mgPotassium: 134mgFiber: 3gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 600IUVitamin C: 10.7mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1.4mg
    Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. KENDALL Y. ELDER

      December 07, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      You’re Awesome!!! Thanks allot for sharing such DELICIOUS, Easy to make Recipes 🙂

      Reply
    2. Maud Marie Santucci

      November 08, 2022 at 3:01 pm

      5 stars
      Hi, Sharon – Hope this finds you and your family well. Can’t wait to try this recipe – sounds yummy! Will take it to our Thanksgiving potluck. Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season.

      Reply
      • Sharon Rigsby

        November 09, 2022 at 1:37 pm

        Hey Maud Marie,
        I just saw where your husband jumped out of a perfectly good plane for his birthday! I hope you guys are doing well, and it was great to hear from you! I hope your holidays are wonderful this year and I hope you enjoy the cake!
        All the best,
        Sharon

        Reply
    3. Billie

      December 31, 2020 at 9:19 pm

      5 stars
      So Yummy! Love how tart this is. Each bite of a whole cranberry explodes with flavor.

      Reply

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    Sharon Rigsby, blogger at GritsandPinecones.com

    Hello, I'm Sharon Rigsby, blogger, recipe developer, videographer, and photographer for Grits and Pinecones®. I have well over 50 years of experience in the kitchen, and there is nothing I like better than developing and reimagining recipes for my family, friends, and you!

    More about me →

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