Cranberry Christmas Cake Recipe

Cranberry Christmas Cake is vertical multi-layer madness of moist vanilla sponge, cranberry filling and white chocolate cream cheese frosting. It’s delicious Christmas dessert and I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the holidays than white chocolate-cranberry cake! 

Cranberry Christmas Cake

Moist and soft vanilla sponge cake, filled with cranberry sauce and delicious, sweet and creamy white chocolate cream cheese buttercream is rolled in vertical spiral to look festive and fun. It’s perfect dessert for winter holiday season.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are upon us. You have so many reasons to feast in November and December. Cake is a staple at nearly every celebration across the globe.

However, people define important moments of their life with this baked dessert-CAKE! Therefore, I wanted to create delicious, but also festive and pretty looking dessert who is worthy to take a central place on the holiday table. And that’s how this Cranberry Christmas Cake was born.

Prep Time: 45

Cook Time: 15

Yield: 8 

Category: Desserts

Method: bake Cuisine: American

Cranberry Christmas Cake is vertical multi-layer madness of moist vanilla sponge, cranberry filling and white chocolate cream cheese frosting.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

• 6 eggs
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cranberry filling:

• 2 cup frozen cranberries
• ½ cup+1 Tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• Grated zest from 1 orange
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 Tablespoon corn starch dissolved in 1 Tablespoon cold water

Frosting:

• 5 oz. white chocolate-finely chopped
• 1/3 cup boiling heavy cream
• ¾ cup cold heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ½ cup unsalted butter-room temperature
• 4 oz. cream cheese-room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar

For garnish:

• 2–3 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 2 oz. white chocolate-melted

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. First make cranberry filling, because it needs to cool completely. In a sauce pan combine cranberries, orange juice and sugar and cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until all the cranberries burst and soften (7-10 minutes). Add dissolved cornstarch and cook for 2-3 minutes, to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
2. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 F and line 12 x 17 inches jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper with non-stick spray and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl mix egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and mix until stiff peaks form.
4. Whisk in egg yolks (one by one) and just to combine. Whisk in vanilla.
5. Sift the flour and fold in with rubber spatula.
6. Add oil and whisk to incorporate completely. With a spatula scrap down the bottom to incorporate everything together well, but do this really gently, because the batter must stay fluffy.
7. Spread the batter in prepared jelly roll pan, smooth the top and bake 12-15 minutes, until it gets nice golden color and the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, but do not dry it too much or it will crack when start rolling the cake.
8. Cool the cake completely.

To make the frosting:

1. In a large heath-proof bowl place finely chopped white chocolate. Pour boiling heavy cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 1-2 minutes, then stir with rubber spatula until it’s completely melted and smooth.
2. When the chocolate is cooled to a room temperature, with an electric mixer start beating at medium speed gradually adding chilled heavy cream. Mix until smooth and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
4. Before fold these two mixtures together, make sure that chocolate mixture is completely cooled and the same temperature as cream cheese/butter mixture or it may curdle.
5. Gradually add white chocolate mixture into cream cheese mixture and gently fold in with rubber spatula.

Assembling the cake:

1. Cut cooled cake in 2-inch stripes. Spread a layer of frosting over the cake, and reserve remaining frosting to cover the cake. Then using a spoon gently spread cranberry filling over frosting layer.
2. Roll the cake starting with the first stripe until the end of it. Continue rolling by place the cake roll on top of the edge of another stripe. Place the roll in the center of serving plate. Pick up the next stripe and wrap it around the cake and repeat with remaining stripes until the entire cake is done.
3. Cover the cake with remaining frosting and scatter dried cranberries on top for garnish. Place in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Melt 2 oz. white chocolate and drizzle over the cake before serving.