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Citrus Cranberry Cake

This Citrus Cranberry Cake is a refreshing dessert that combines soft, buttery citrus sponge with tangy homemade cranberry sauce. Layered and topped with a light lemon glaze, it strikes the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Finished with mandarin slices for decoration, it’s a vibrant, festive cake that looks as stunning as it tastes.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Cooling & Assembling Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • ¾ cup butter room temperature
  • 1 ¾ cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup milk
  • ½ cup fresh orange juice

Cranberry Sauce:

  • 12 oz fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup orange juice

Glaze:

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • Few drops lemon juice

Decoration:

  • Mandarin slices
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease and line a 15×10-inch pan.
  • Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then orange extract.
  • Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to batter alternately with milk and orange juice.
  • Bake for 23 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then invert and cool fully.
  • Simmer cranberries, sugar, and orange juice until thickened. Cool.
  • Slice cake into 3 even layers. Spread cranberry sauce between layers. Stack and rest 15 minutes.
  • Mix glaze and drizzle over cake. Decorate with mandarins and powdered sugar.
  • Slice and serve.

Notes

  • Cool cake fully before layering to avoid sliding.
  • Simmer cranberry sauce until thick for best spreading.
  • Adjust sugar in sauce based on desired tartness.
  • Refrigerate cake for 1–2 hours before slicing for clean layers.
  • Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.