Cranberry Cake | At Home with Shay

This gluten-free Cranberry & Browned Butter Cake is the epitome of a Christmas cake. All of the warm spice you'd hope for is found in the soft sponge layers. Tart cranberries with hints of orange, thyme, and rosemary create a beautiful balance to the rich toffee flavor in the buttery frosting. This is a perfectly balanced cake that isn't too sweet and you can always use frozen cranberries if you want to enjoy it in the middle of the summer.

Ingredients

• 1 cup lightly salted butter - browned & cooled
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cranberry Filling

• 12 ounces whole cranberries - fresh or frozen
• 2 large oranges, pulp diced - skin, seeds & tough segment walls removed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves - tough stems removed & finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves - tough stems removed & finely chopped

Browned Butter Frosting

• 1 ½ cups lightly salted butter - browned & cooled to room temp
• ¾ cup cream cheese - room temp
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt all 2 ½ cups (5 sticks) of butter. Stirring continuously until the milk solids turn light brown. Remove from heat and let cool to room temp.
3. Stir the cooled browned butter to evenly distribute the browned bits. Remove ¾ cup of the browned butter for use in the cake batter, what remains will be used for the frosting. *See Note.
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat ¾ cup  browned butter and the granulated sugar with a hand mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, next the milk and vanilla, mixing until combined well.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir with a large spoon to mix well.
6. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and use a hand mixer on a low speed to blend the batter. Then turn the speed to high and allow the batter to aerate.
7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until set in the middle. Remove and allow to cool before turning onto a baking rack. Slice each cake in half evenly.

Cranberry Filling

1. Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently. Once the cranberries pop and the mixture begins to reduce and thicken, about 15-20 minutes, remove from the heat and cool to room temp or store covered in the fridge until ready to use.

Browned Butter Frosting

1. Whip the remaining browned butter (*see note) and the cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer. Gradually add in the powdered sugar until it is sweet enough to your taste. Whip at a high speed to aerate the frosting.

Assemble the Cake

1. Assemble the cake by beginning with the first layer of sponge on a serving plate, then spoon the Cranberry Filling on top leaving about ½ inch from the edge. Add the second layer of sponge and top it with Browned Butter Frosting. Another layer of sponge and Cranberry filling, then the top layer of sponge and final layer of Browned Butter Frosting gets spread on the top and sides. Decorate as you wish and serve. The cake is best the first day but can be stored covered at room temp for up to 3 days.

Watch the video above to see Shay make this delicious dish.

Visit AtHomeWithShay.com for detailed instructions, nutritional information, and more gluten-free recipes.