This vegan cranberry orange cake is a perfect, fruity treat for the festive season and it tastes so good! Moist, soft and everything else you need in a loaf cake. It's topped with streusel which goes with it all so nicely.
Be sure to check out my vegan blueberry lemon cake, vegan blueberry banana cake , vegan cranberry ginger cake and vegan orange poppy seed cake for more fruity cake inspiration.
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Ingredients For This Recipe
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar - perfect for a toasty streusel
- Vegan butter
- Soy milk
- Apple cider vinegar - this is mixed into the soy milk to make vegan buttermilk
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Canola oil - this is the same thing as rapeseed oil
- Vanilla extract
- Freshly squeezed orange juice - avoid using concentrated or bottled juice
- Zest of 2 oranges
- Fresh cranberries - don't use frozen cranberries
How To Make Vegan Cranberry Orange Cake
Step By Step Instructions
For the full method and ingredient amounts, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE
Combine the dry streusel ingredients.
STEP TWO
Crumble in the vegan butter.
STEP THREE
Grease two baking tins with vegan butter.
STEP FOUR
Make the vegan buttermilk.
STEP FIVE
Mix together the dry cake ingredients in a bowl.
STEP SIX
Add in the wet ingredients to the mixture including the orange zest and juice.
STEP SEVEN
Fold the cake batter until smooth.
STEP EIGHT
Pour in the fresh cranberries.
STEP NINE
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tins.
STEP TEN
Sprinkle on the streusel and bake in the oven.
STEP ELEVEN
Let the cake cool. Serve warm.
Tips For Making Cranberry Orange Cakes
Don't Over Mix The Cake Batter
This will cause the crumb of your cranberry orange cake to be dense and unappetising. Fold the batter instead for a light and fluffy loaf cake that will taste amazing.
Use Fresh Cranberries Instead Of Dried
Dried cranberries will dry out the texture of the cake. Use fresh cranberries for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. They will work perfectly fine in this recipe. I just find fresh cranberries easier to work with and more convenient.
How To Store My Cranberry Orange Cake
Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to four days.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
Super Moist Vegan Cranberry Orange Cake with Streusel
Ingredients
Streusel Topping:
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 25 g brown sugar
- 1.5 Tablespoons vegan butter softened
Cranberry Orange Cake Batter:
- 200 ml soy milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 200 g all-purpose flour sifted
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 50 ml canola oil rapeseed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 110 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
- Zest of 2 oranges
- 150 g fresh cranberries
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 177 Celsius (350F).
- Grease two 20cm x 10cm loaf tins with vegan butter then set aside.
Make the streusel:
- In a bowl, combine the flour and the brown sugar.
- Add the vegan butter to the dry mixture. Use your hands to crumble the ingredients together into crumbs. They should resemble breadcrumbs.
- Cover the streusel and place it into the fridge until needed.
Make the cake:
- Make the vegan buttermilk. Mix the apple cider vinegar into the soy milk and let the buttermilk curdle for 8 minutes. Measure out the other cake ingredients while you wait for the buttermilk.
- To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt. Combine well.
- Add the buttermilk, canola oil, vanilla extract, orange juice and orange zest to the dry ingredients. Fold the dry into the wet until almost all the flour pockets are gone.
- Finally fold in the cranberries and the final but of flour.
- Pour your orange cake batter into the two prepared cake tins and sprinkle your streusel on top. Bake the cakes in centre of the oven for 20 minutes. When the orange cakes are ready, a skewer will come out clean.
- Let the cranberry orange cakes cool in their tins for 15 minutes then place them onto a cooling rack.
Jen says
Would it work to use grapeseed oil instead of canola oil, do you think?
DJ says
Hi Jen! Yes, as grapeseed oil is a neutral-tasting oil it won't make too much of a difference to the outcome.
Lisa says
What a fantastic dessert! The only changes I made: doubled the streusel, made it in one square instead of two rounds, used oat milk, cooked it longer than the recipe called and topped it with an orange icing. It is super moist and amazing flavor profile. Will be bookmarking this one for sure!
DJ says
Thanks so much for that lovely comment, Lisa! So happy that you enjoyed the cranberry orange cake!
Claire says
Such an amazing combo of flavours in this cake.