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–+ servings
Cranberry Christmas Cake
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4.46 from 91 votes

Cranberry Christmas Cake

This beautiful holiday cake features fresh cranberries, chopped pecans, and a delicious cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Desserts
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 645kcal
Author: Danelle

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

For the frosting:

  • 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups confectioner' s sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.
  • In a large bowl combine the cake mix, milk, eggs, oil, sour cream and orange zest. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
  • Carefully fold in cranberries and pecans.
  • Dived batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before turning onto wire racks to cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and salt until smooth. Stir in the orange zest.
  • Gradually add the confectioner 's sugar until frosting reaches desired consistency. Stir in the pecans.
  • Frost between the cake layers as well as the top and sides. Garnish with fresh cranberries or additional chopped nuts, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 210mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 79g