Easy Orange-Cranberry Cake

In my previous blog article on sticky cinnamon rolls I mentioned that I was not a real fan of ultra sugary dessert treats.

My taste buds tend to be more on the tangy and sour side for desserts. I found a cake recipe that satisfies that. It is a deliciously moist orange-cranberry cake. And the best part is that is so easy to prepare!

I have made three cakes from this recipe so far, and will continue it whenever I have a craving for a tangy AND sweet dessert.

Orange-Cranberry Cake Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 stick unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 cups dried cranberries (or 1 cup dried and 1 cup fresh)

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Mix all of the ingredients above in a mixing bowl - yes, it is as simple as that! Mix until batter is softened and able to slowly drip of the mixing spoon. The batter should not be too soft or drippy though.

Then pour the mixed batter into a 9x5 loaf pan and bake at 350F for about 45-55 minutes. To check and see that cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out dry, then the cake is done.

Notes:
The above recipe results in a moist and crumbly cake. To harden it, you may keep it in the fridge for an hour, then slice it. To serve warm, heat in an oven or microwave.

I also altered the recipe with different ingredients. I used 1 cup bread flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour. Instead of butter, I used 2 tablespoons of canola oil. With these two alternations in ingredients, I obtained a less moist, but firmer cake. The taste is akin to a bread cake - like banana bread. But not buttery.

I preferred the first one - as I think most people would.

But some of the people who tried my 2nd version with the canola oil, liked it better.

Try them both and see what works for you :)