Christmas Cranberry Buckle

Usually my workplace has a holiday luncheon, where all of us bring in dishes to share. I usually make a dessert (see Buche de Noel (2007), gingerbread house (2009), stollen (2010), lemon gingerbread wonderland cake (2012), cocoa pomegranate pavlova (2013), wintermint cake (2015), and fresh pear cake (2016).)

This year because the school year ended so late, and today was the actual last day we were even open, we went with brunch instead. I hemmed and hawed over what to make and ended up with a coffee cake idea. I've had this cranberry buckle on my to-make list for a while, I had 1.5 bags of fresh cranberries in the fridge, and it was just the perfect time.

Christmas Cranberry Buckle
(recipe from Wicked Good Kitchen)

Ingredients

For the Spiked Candied Fruit

• 3 tablespoons (34 g) finely chopped candied orange peel
• 3 tablespoons (34 g) finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) orange liqueur

For the Sugar Cookie Streusel

• ¾ cup (98 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) salted butter, cut into bits

For the Cake

• 1½ cups (195 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for cake pan
• 1½ teaspoons (7 g) baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon (3.6 g) fine-grain sea salt
• ½ teaspoon (1.25 g) ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon (.65 g) freshly grated whole nutmeg
• 10 tablespoons (about 141 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons (4 g) grated lemon zest, from 1 medium lemon
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs (mine weighted 112 g w/o shells), room temperature
• 3½ cups (14 oz or about 350 g) fresh cranberries, rinsed & dried
• Shortening or favorite cooking oil, for greasing cake pan

For the Sugar Topping

• 1½ to 2 teaspoons (6 to 8 g) granulated sugar

Special Equipment

• One 9-inch (23 cm) round nonstick springform pan
• Two insulated cake strips, such as Wilton® Small Bake Even Strips (Set of 2)
• Cake Lifter, helpful but not necessary

Directions

Prepare the Spiked Candied Fruit: In a small bowl, combine candied orange peel, crystallized ginger and orange liqueur. Cover and let stand for several hours or overnight at room temperature.

Prepare the Sugar Cookie Streusel: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Set aside.

Arrange oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Grease 9-inch (23 cm) round nonstick springform pan with shortening and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. If using insulated cake strips, don’t forget to prepare the pan per manufacturer’s directions with the exception of using two (as shown in the article above). Set aside.

Prepare the Cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices until well combined. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer and large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add lemon zest and vanilla; beat until combined.

Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition on medium speed scraping sides and bottom of bowl as necessary. (Mixture may look slightly separated. Don’t worry. It will pull together with the addition of flour.) Add flour gradually while mixing at low speed until mixture is just blended. Do not overmix. (Batter will be thick and very heavy.) Using rubber spatula, carefully fold in spiked candied fruit and cranberries until distributed evenly.

Using rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan. With spatula, spread batter evenly to pan edges and smooth the top. Use hand to clump portions of streusel by squeezing and use fingers to sprinkle small clumps of streusel evenly over top of batter. Repeat process with remaining streusel.

Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Remove cake from oven and place on wire cooling rack. Immediately, sprinkle sugar over the top of cake and run thin metal icing spatula around edge of pan to loosen cake from sides of pan. This will prevent the cranberries from sticking to the sides of pan and will make removing easier. Cool for 15 minutes.

To Unmold Cake: If using, remove insulated cake strips. Unmold cake by removing sides of pan. Cool until just warm or to room temperature, about 1 hour. Slice into wedges and serve.

Yield: Makes one 9-inch (23 cm) cake, serving 8 to 10.

Notes from JennyBakes:

-When I tried to go to the liquor store, there was a sign up that said "Be right back," but it was pouring down rain and I just wanted to go home. So instead of an orange flavor, I used kirsch, since I had some on hand.
-I no longer have a working 9" springform so I just used a 9" square pyrex, and that fit the cake perfectly. I did not have any burning issues as described by the original baker.