This cranberry pecan cake is tender and buttery with brown sugar cinnamon pecan crumble blanketing each bite. Cranberries and pecans are a wonderful pairing, especially during the holiday season. You’ll love them together in this crumb cakeโa breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert suited for any time of the day!
Quick note: The photos in this post were refreshed in 2025, but the recipe is exactly the same one readers have loved since it was first published in 2021.
Cranberries and pecans are a wonderful pairing, especially during the holiday season, and youโll love them together in this buttery crumb-topped cake. With a generous pecan brown sugar crumble blanketing each bite, this cranberry pecan breakfast cake is perfect for breakfast, brunch, snacking, or dessert.
This cake is essentially a festive, holiday-ready version of classic coffee cakeโand it truly is an anytime cake. During the holiday season when routines are off, schedules are packed, guests pop in unexpectedly, school is out, and your gift-wrapping snacks somehow turn into spoonfuls of cookie doughโฆ it feels like any time is the right time for cake, not just Christmas cookies.
And no, you donโt have to save this for Christmas. Or even celebrate Christmas to enjoy it!
Why limit a buttery, soft cranberry cake crowned with pecan brown sugar crumble to the morning hours? And why reserve tart cranberries only for Thanksgiving cranberry sauce? I have a feeling your afternoons and evenings could use this cozy little pick-me-up, too.
One reader, Judy, commented: “This cake is fabulous! The name fits perfectly because I have to be careful with it since I am truly snacking on it anytime!! Love the abundance of pecans coupled with the slightly tart cranberries. Another wonderful recipe, Sally! โ โ โ โ โ “
Tell Me About This Cranberry Pecan Cake
- Flavor: Tart cranberries dotted throughout a sweet buttery cake is a lovely flavor balance. Plus, you have a pecan brown sugar cinnamon crumble topping that makes each bite even more scrumptious than the last. And if you prepare the icing with orange juice (you could also use milk), you have a little citrus finishing it all off.
- Texture: Thanks to the sour cream, expect a moist and tender cake crumb. The coarse crumble topping adds a pleasant texture contrast and I love that some bites of the crumb are crunchy (around the edges) and some are melt-in-your-mouth buttery (in the very center). Between the cranberries, cake, pecans, and crumb topping, there’s a variety of textures to savor.
- Ease: The cake batter is pretty standard, made with staple baking ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and eggsโand some of these ingredients are repeated in the crumb topping, too. Assembling the cake is nothing more than spreading thick batter into your pan and topping with the pecan crumble. That’s it! I always appreciate a cake that doesn’t require complicated shaping/decoration/design.
- Time: Isn’t it nice when you can cut into a cake while it’s warm? Cool this cake for just 10โ15 minutes before slicing and serving. The bake time varies and this depends on the pan you’re using.
Testing the Recipe
Have you ever made this raspberry almond crumb cake before? It’s been a big hit over the years. Today’s cranberry cake uses a similar batter, but I add a little more flour and some liquid. Cranberries are a special add-in because they’re so light and you often need a lot of them to fill each slice with berries. I found 2 cups (about 250g) to be the perfect amount.
Since I added 2 cups of add-ins (plus pecans in the batter too), the batter needed a little more flour. And to prevent the crumb from tasting dry with extra flour, I added some liquid. I recommend orange juice for a little flavor, but you can use milk if that’s all you have. The recipe below includes these additions.
You also need liquid in the icing and you can use orange juice or milk there too. It depends on if you want a vanilla or orange icing drizzled on this cranberry jeweled cake! I love the orange.
Expect a thick cake batter:
Cranberry Cake Crumb Topping
The crumb topping is a scaled-down version of what we usually use on New York-style crumb cake. I use this same amount on blackberry cream cheese crumb cake, too. You need a fork or pastry cutter to cut the cold butter into the mixture. Mix until you have plenty of crumblesโsome dry powdery crumbs are fine. Stir in pecans and then sprinkle over the cake batter before baking:
Can I Use Frozen or Dried Cranberries?
I typically make this cranberry pecan cake with fresh cranberries, but you can use frozen instead. You do not have to thaw the berries before folding into the batter. You could also use dried cranberries, but keep in mind that they are much sweeter so reducing the amount is imperative. If using dried instead of fresh or frozen, use 1 cup (140g) dried cranberries.
Lots to love here. Orange cranberry bread would be the loaf version of this cake and there’s cranberry orange muffins, tooโboth are also great for the holidays, any time of day!
Cranberry Pecan Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 10
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This cranberry pecan cake is tender and buttery with a brown sugar cinnamon pecan crumble blanketing each bite. Fitting for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dessert. See recipe notes about best baking pans.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoonย baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoonย baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoonย salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g)ย unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 2ย largeย eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoonย pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cupย (120g) full-fatย sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk or orange juice, at room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
- 2/3 cup (90g) roughly chopped pecans
Crumb Topping
- 1/3 cupย (67g) packed dark or lightย brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoonย ground cinnamon
- 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter,ย cold and cubed
- 2/3 cup (90g) roughly chopped pecans
Icing (Optional)
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) milk, heavy cream, or orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (skip if using orange juice)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Grease a 2-quart baking dish. (See note below for recommendations on best pans to use.)
- Make the cake:ย Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until creamy and combined, about 3 minutes. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) On medium speed, add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. (Mixture may appear curdledโthat’s ok.) With the mixer on low speed, pour in the dry ingredients and milk/orange juice and beat until smooth and combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick. Fold in the cranberries and pecans. Spread into prepared pan. Set aside.
- Make the crumb topping:ย Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork (or even with your hands) until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the pecans. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
- Bake for 40-55 minutes. Baking times vary greatly depending on the pan you’re using. A thick ceramic pan (as pictured) will take longer than a metal springform pan. Keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Make the icing: As the cake slightly cools, you can make the icing by whisking the icing ingredients together until smooth. Add more milk/cream/orange juice to thin out if needed. Drizzle icing over cake while it’s still warm. Slice and serve.
- Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Bake the cake as directed, cool completely, and then freeze for up to 3 months (with or without the icing). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to serve or you can slightly warm by baking at 300ยฐF (149ยฐC) for 15 minutes. Drizzle icing on cake, if itโs plain, before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 2-quart Baking Dish (see note below for more options) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Pastry Blender | Cooling Rackย
- Baking Pan to Use (affiliate links): Use a baking dish that holds 2 quarts, such as a 9-inch square baking dish, 9-inch springform pan, 10-inch springform pan, or an 11×7-inch pan. I do not recommend a 9-inch regular round cake pan because there is so much batter and even though it will fit, the batter will rise quite high and won’t bake evenly. The pictured white baking dish is from Crate & Barrel.
- Sour Cream: If you donโt have sour cream, you can use plain regular or Greek yogurt instead. I donโt suggest subbing the sour cream with a liquid.
- Cranberries: If using dried instead of fresh or frozen, reduce down to 1 cup (140g) dried cranberries.
- Optional Icing: The icing is optional. Feel free to skip it completely and leave the cake plain. Or you can dust the warm cake with confectioners’ sugar using aย fine mesh sieve.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made this for our family holiday party. I used King Arthur 1:1 GF flour and it turned out beautifully! Highly recommend!!
I have made this cake many times and have friends going ga ga over it. My husband and I scarf it up. SO GOOD! What do you think about using the same recipe and using small chopped rhubarb. I seem to think the flavor combination could be just right for rhubarb. I often add citrus flavor to my rhubarb pies. Let me know what you think. I love the topping of this cake. Best I ever had!
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested rhubarb in this cake, but please do let us know if you try it!
due to nut allergies, do i need to adjust the recipe with anything if i leave out the nuts from the batter?
Hi Mimi, you can simply omit the pecans, no other changes needed.
This sounds insane! I wanna make this, can I make this ahead? Like a day, 2 days tops ahead? It would make my life so much easier during the busy holiday season
Hi Nadia, Yes you can cover and store the cake at room temperature for up to 1 day or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Big “HIT”. I chopped cranberries slightly. Also I used juice AND rind from a fresh orang to cake and icing. Really made it pop. Thanks
Best all around cake & not overly sweet. Husband Loved
This cake was AMAZING. GREAT DESSERT! GREAT BREAKFAST!
Made this for work, for Christmas Day… Huge hit! Delicious!
I made this today 12/22/24, a true picture presentation. You left out the fact that the house will smell so wonderful! Thank you!
Making this for Christmas Eve. Iโm a huge fan of your recipes. Should I roast the pecans before putting them in the batter? I would think the pecans in the crumble will have a nice flavor since theyโre on top of the cake. Thanks for your advice.
Hi Kristin, you certainly could – yum!
Can I double it in a 13x 9โ pan?
Hi Dorothy, hereโs everything you need to know about scaling for different cake pan sizes and conversions. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, How many muffins would this recipe make? I didnโt see that conversion in this site. Thanks!
Hi Diane, we’d recommend these cranberry orange muffins instead, and you can use this crumb topping with that recipe. Let us know if you give it a try!
The cranberries and pecans make this so good and not sweet. A really perfect breakfast or anytime treat with a cup of coffee. Easy to put together and smells heavenly while baking! Another hit from Sally and team.