Cranberry Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
Cranberry Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel is light and fluffy, studded with fresh cranberries and bursting with orange flavor. It’s perfect for holiday brunch!
Have you done any Christmas baking yet? So far I haven’t baked any cookies but I think that will have changed by the end of the week. I’m craving my gingerbread macadamia biscotti, chocolate chip hazelnut snowball cookies, and my favorite peppermint bark to name a few.
At least I’ve gotten around to making some holiday inspired breakfast treats. I made gingerbread waffles on my son’s 16th birthday last week, which I’ll be sharing with you next week
And of course I baked the lovely Cranberry Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel that you see before you. 🙂
I love making my pumpkin coffee cake this time of year, but the cranberry orange combination is one of my absolute favorite around the holidays.
I’m a huge fan of coffee cake but don’t eat it often as it’s normally laden with so much butter and sugar. One slice can run you 450-500 calories!
I lightened up this cranberry coffee cake recipe a bit so I could enjoy this for breakfast with a lot less guilt. One slice is about 314 calories and it’s every bit as satisfying as those others.
It’s 100% whole grain, but it’s still incredibly tender. Whole wheat flour and low fat buttermilk contribute to this tenderness.
The buttermilk also gives this cake a delicious tang. 🙂
I used the orange zest from one orange in this coffee cake, and beat it with the butter and sugar so that the oils in the zest would permeate throughout the entire cake.
No orange juice is necessary with all that zest!
The first time I made this coffee cake I used 1 cup of fresh cranberries and didn’t feel that it was enough. The tart-sweet pop of the cranberries really makes this coffee cake special, so I suggest using 1 1/2 cups.
I love stocking my freezer with fresh cranberries so that I can enjoy them all winter long (or all year long!). If you use frozen cranberries, simply thaw them out and blot dry before adding to your batter.
There’s nothing like waking up to a hot cup of coffee with a slice of this cranberry coffee cake!
It just doesn’t get any better than this.
If you love using fresh cranberries, be sure to check out my collection of cranberry recipes!
More cranberry recipes you’ll love:
- Cranberry Bliss Bars by Skinnytaste
- Cranberry Orange Biscotti
- Cranberry orange sauce
- Eggnog Pancakes
- Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
- Sugared Cranberries
If you make this recipe I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and rating below, or tag me at @flavorthemoments on Instagram!
Cranberry Orange Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel
Ingredients
For the coffee cake:
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- Zest from 1 medium orange
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries whole or halved
For the streusel:
- 1/4 cup rolled oats quick oats may be substituted
- 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 or 9″ round cake or springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Prepare the cake:
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
- Cream the coconut sugar, softened butter and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until well incorporated after each addition.
- Beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture on low speed, followed by the vanilla and half of the buttermilk. Repeat the process ending with the flour mixture. Do not over beat.
- Fold in the fresh cranberries and pour the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Prepare the streusel:
- Place the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and pinch of salt in a small bowl and stir to combine. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender, fork or your fingers until mixture is in pea-sized crumbles. Stir in the pecan pieces.
- Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the coffee cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (the center of the cake should have risen completely).
- Cool the cake completely on a wire rack. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You may substitute the whole white flour with all purpose flour or a combination of 1 cup all purpose and 3/4 cup whole wheat.
- The coconut sugar may be substituted with an equal amount of granulated or brown sugar.
- If using frozen cranberries, make sure to thaw them completely and blot dry before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
21 Comments on “Cranberry Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel”
Hi Marcie!
I’ve never seen so many delicious cranberry-orange recipes! Somehow they make me think ‘healthy’, but it’s nice to see that this recipe is actually a bit lighter than expected. My kind of recipe – you can indulge and enjoy a proper delicious slice of cake, but without too much guilt, as you say.
Merry Christmas!!!
Thanks so much Helen and enjoy your Christmas! 🙂
You’re making me crave coffee cake so badly! This looks so good. I’m usually not a big orange fan, but I think I’d be okay with it in this cake 🙂
Thanks Nicole!
I could easily have this cake for breakfast with a cup of tea, Marcie. Such a great combination of nutrient-dense ingredients. Can I use some other kind of flour for this recipe?
Hey Agness! I’ve only tried this recipe with whole wheat white flour or a combination of 1 cup all purpose and 3/4 whole wheat so unfortunately I have no idea how the recipe would workout with any other type of flour.
Marcie, I love all the fresh orange and cranberries is this coffee cake! It is one of my favourite flavour combos this time of year! And it’s so nice that this is a healthier version! I may need to whip this one up over the holidays! 😉
Thanks Leanne! We can all use a little less guilt over the holidays right? 🙂
I love that this is a bit healthier than the typical coffee cake. It’s something I will be so excited to make for my family without feeling too guilty about it!! I love the cranberry-orange combo too!! PS – I can’t wait to see those gingerbread waffles!!
Thanks Katherine and I hope you enjoy your weekend! 🙂
Thank you Puja!
I’ve done a lot of holiday baking so far, but have yet to make cookies, too! I need to put this coffee cake on my list…so pretty! I’m in love with that streusel. The best part of coffee cakes, if you ask me! And you can’t go wrong with cranberries and orange. This would be perfect for a Christmas morning breakfast!
All I’ve baked so far is breakfast stuff…I’m kind of afraid to get into the cookies but it will happen sooner or later. 🙂 Thanks Gayle!
YUM! This cake looks so homey and comforting! Perfect for the winter. Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much Natalie!
This coffee cake looks gorgeous Marcie! Would love to try it ! Pinning!
Thank you Mira!
Ooooooooh baby, come to momma! I’m with you on loving coffee cake but not eating it as often due to calorie content. I love that you lightened up your cake but it’s still loaded with amazing flavors! The cake looks crazy town delicious!!! I can’t wait to see the ginger waffles! 🙂
Thanks so much Christina and those waffles are giving this coffee cake a run for it’s money. 🙂
hahah Marcie we are SO on the same wavelength these days! I literally just updated today an old post for cranberry eggnog coffee cake 🙂 I like the way you think friend! This sounds absolutely fantastic!!
We are on the same wavelength and it sounds like I need to make your coffee cake because I love eggnog with these flavors! Thanks Ashley! 🙂