Cranberry Orange Cake with Pecan Streusel

This cranberry orange cake with pecan streusel delivers the perfect balance of tart, sweet, and nutty flavors with a tender crumb and irresistible crunchy topping.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Pecans: Add a rich, buttery crunch and nutty flavor to the streusel topping, creating textural contrast against the soft, tender cake.
• Orange: The zest provides intense citrus flavor while the juice adds moisture, acidity and tangy sweetness to the cake.
• Greek yogurt: Adds moisture and creates a tender, soft crumb in the cake. You can substitute it with sour cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk.
• Cranberries: Contribute bursts of flavor throughout the cake, adding tartness and visual appeal.

Substitutions and variations

• Nuts: Try this recipe with hazelnuts, almonds, or walnuts for the streusel.
• Add-ins: You can add chocolate chips or toffee chips for a sweeter cake.
• Gluten-free: Use gluten-free all-purpose flour for the streusel and cake.

Recipe

Print Recipe

Cranberry Orange Cake with Pecan Streusel

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cake

Servings: 12

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Pecan streusel

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (125 grams)
• ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
• ½ cup chopped raw pecans (55 grams)
• ¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons melted butter (127 grams)

Cranberry orange cake

• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
• 1 ½ tablespoons orange zest (about 2 oranges)
• ½ cup softened butter (113 grams)
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (57 grams)
• ¼ cup orange juice (62 ml)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 cups cranberries (200 grams)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan.
• Make the pecan streusel. Combine flour, granulated sugar, pecans, powdered sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour melted butter, stirring until well combined. Set aside.
• Prepare cake batter. Combine sugar and orange zest in a small bowl, rubbing them together to release the citrus oils from the zest.
• Add sugar mixture to a stand mixer along with butter and beat until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add egg, beating until well combined. Alternatively, used a hand mixer.
• Whisk together vanilla, Greek yogurt, and orange juice together until smooth in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour with baking powder and salt. Add half of the wet ingredients to the cake batter, followed by half of the dry ingredients. Repeat once more, stirring just until combined.
• Add cranberries to cake batter, gently stirring until combined. Transfer cake batter to prepared cake pan, spreading it into one even layer. Sprinkle pecan streusel on top.
• Bake cake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Notes

For easy removal, line the cake pan with parchment paper, with excess paper hanging off the sides. 

You can make the pecan streusel ahead of time and chill it in the refridgerator until ready to use.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make pecan streusel

Let's start with the streusel topping, which is probably the easiest part of this whole recipe. You'll combine flour, granulated sugar, chopped pecans, powdered sugar, and salt in a bowl, then pour in melted butter and stir until everything comes together.

We're using melted butter rather than cold butter because well frankly, it's easier to incorporate.

Also, cold butter would give you more of a solid, dense topping, but melted butter allows the streusel to spread slightly and create that perfect crunchy but tender texture we're after.

Don't worry if it looks super crumbly-that's exactly what you want! Just set it aside while you make the cake batter.

Step 2: Prepare cake batter

Now for the cake itself. Before you do anything else, combine the sugar and orange zest in a small bowl and rub them together with your fingers. This releases all those citrus oils from the zest and infuses the sugar with incredible orange flavor.

It's such a simple step but it ensures that orange flavor gets distributed throughout the entire cake. You can also beat the sugar and zest in a stand mixer until well combined, if you don't want to get your hands dirty.

Once that's done, add the sugar mixture and softened butter to your stand mixer and beat it until light and fluffy. This should take about three to four minutes. This creaming process is important because it incorporates air into the batter, which helps create a light, tender crumb.

You'll know it's ready when the mixture looks pale and almost doubled in volume. Add the egg and beat until combined, then you'll alternate adding the wet ingredients and dry ingredients.

Mix just until combined since overmixing can lead to a tough, dense cake. Finally, gently fold in those beautiful cranberries.

Step 3: Bake

Transfer your batter to a greased nine-inch cake pan and spread it into an even layer. I used a 9-inch square pan but you can also use a round cake pan.

Sprinkle that crumbly pecan streusel all over the top. It might look like too mush streusel, but just go with it. Trust me.

Pop the pan into a preheated 350-degree oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You'll know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The streusel should be golden brown and crispy, and your kitchen will smell absolutely amazing. Let the cake cool completely before slicing. I know it's tempting to dig in right away, but letting it cool helps the texture set properly and makes it much easier to cut clean slices.

This cranberry orange cake with pecan streusel is perfect for holiday gatherings, weekend brunch, or honestly any time you're craving something that tastes fancy but doesn't require fancy skills.

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: You can make the pecan streusel ahead of time and store it in the refridgerator until ready to use.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, keep in the refridgerator for up to 5 days.

Frequently asked questions

More holiday dessert recipes

Looking for more desserts with cranberries? Try these: