Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh orange zest
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 200g fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 2 tbsp sanding sugar

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease your 9 inch pan thoroughly with butter and line the bottom with parchment paper. Note: This prevents the berry juices from sticking to the pan and tearing the cake.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the 200g granulated sugar and 2 tbsp orange zest. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar for about 2 minutes. Stop when the sugar looks like wet sand and smells intensely of citrus.
  3. Whisk together the 250g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp sea salt in a separate medium bowl. Note: Sifting isn't strictly necessary, but it helps if your flour is particularly lumpy.
  4. In a third bowl, whisk the 2 large eggs with the 115g melted (and cooled!) butter, 120g sour cream, 60ml buttermilk, 60ml orange juice, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk until the mixture is silky and pale yellow.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the sugar zest mixture and whisk briefly. Then, gently fold in the dry ingredients using a spatula. Stop as soon as no dry streaks remain. Over mixing will make the cake rubbery.
  6. Toss 150g of the cranberries with a teaspoon of flour, then fold them into the batter. Note: The flour coating helps the berries grip the batter so they don't all sink to the bottom.
  7. Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth the top with your spatula. It will be thick, almost like a heavy muffin batter.
  8. Scatter the remaining 50g of cranberries over the top, pressing them slightly into the surface. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of sanding sugar evenly across the entire cake.
  9. Bake for 45 minutes. Check for a deep golden brown color and a toothpick that comes out clean. If you smell the sugar starting to caramelize but the center is still jiggly, tent it loosely with foil.
  10. Let the cake sit in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing the sides. This allows the internal structure to firm up so the cake doesn't collapse when sliced.