Happy December! So first of all, can I just ask who else lives in Texas? And is wearing shorts and a tank top today? Yeah. Kinda ridiculous. But I can’t complain, we had a few freezing cold weeks, so I am actually welcoming the warmth! Especially because I know that the true Texas cold season is in February and March… I can’t tell you how many times the only snow we got was on Valentine’s Day! Dear Texas, please learn your seasons and plan your weather accordingly. Sincerely, everybody.
Confession time: this was my first time ever baking with cranberries! My verdict: delicious! But tart. But still, quite delicious. Also, just to confirm, I have the best mom ever. Wanna know why? I made this cake between school and work, so I took it out of the oven like a minute before I left. She knew I would want to blog it, but she also knew it would be dark by the time I got home, so she took pictures for me while it was still light outside. Seriously, who does that? I love her so much. She is the best. So here is my recipe, along with the lovely pictures my sweet mom took for me! 🙂
Cranberry Crumb Cake
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields: one 11 inch round cake
for the cake:
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups all-purpose white flour
2/3 cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick + 1/3)
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
zest of 1 mandarin orange
for the filling:
1 bag fresh cranberries (about 3 cups), washed and dried
1/3 cup white sugar (I found the cake quite tart, feel free to add more!)
3 tsp potato or corn starch
juice of 1 mandarin orange
Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter and flour an 11-inch round cake pan (I used a formspring).
In a large bowl, mix together the sugar (for the cake), flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and mandarin zest. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter, then use it to mix in the egg. Dough will be crumbly! Pat a little more than half into your prepared pan.
In a separate bowl, mix the cranberries, sugar, starch, and juice. Pour the whole thing over your prepared crust. Top the berries by crumbling the remaining dough on top!
Bake in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes, until cake is golden and delicious. Enjoy with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, and whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!
thanks for share.