Fresh Cranberry Cake

{Gluten-Free, Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free}

Sometimes life calls for a simple, one bowl, easy to throw together coffee cake, and this gluten-free vegan fresh cranberry cake is perfect for the occasion! The tartness of the fresh cranberries provides a great balance to this sweet spiced spongy cake and makes it a great choice for a treat to enjoy with some tea or coffee, with company, or even for a quick breakfast treat or lunchbox snack {I must admit I enjoyed in in all those forms}.

Fresh or frozen cranberries will work equally well here, or another berry or fruit can be substituted for alternate flavors. I can see this basic coffee cake being delicious with some raspberries, or apple chunks, chopped strawberries, blueberries, or anything seasonal. Maybe even some chocolate chips. Adding some chopped nuts would work great too — especially in combination with cranberries or raisins. Have some fun with choosing the flavor combo or enjoy using up your pantry leftovers :) . Or go with the original fresh cranberry option — I wouldn’t have changed it one bit myself since I loved the sweetness to tartness ratio and the giant bursts of fresh juicy cranberries in every bit were a big bonus ;) .

P.S. Although it looks like it’s topped with powdered sugar, I actually dusted the cake with some powdered coconut milk — it looked wonderful and tasted delicious, and nobody would know it’s refined sugar-free ;)

Fresh Cranberry Cake

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★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: one 9" x 13" cake
• Category: Cake
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Dessert

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Description

The tartness of fresh cranberries provides a great balance to this sweet spiced spongy cake and makes it a great choice for a treat to enjoy with some tea or coffee, with company, or even for a quick breakfast treat or lunchbox snack

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Ingredients

Wet:

• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce {I used homemade}
• 1½ cups maple syrup
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ cup water or non-dairy milk

Dry:

• 2½ cups of my gluten-free flour blend {1 cup brown rice flour, ¾ cup tapioca starch, ¾ cup sweet rice flour, ¾ tsp guar gum} {or if using a store-bought mix, I recommend using 2¼ cups Pamela’s Artisan Flour Blend}
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp of each of the following: allspice, nutmeg
• ⅛ tsp of each of the following: cloves, cardamom
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp baking soda

Fold-Ins:

• 8 oz fresh or frozen cranberries — tossed with 2 tbsp of gluten-free flour {I used fresh} {the flour just helps keep the cranberries from sinking to the bottom — it is optional though}.

Topping:

• Optional: some non-dairy powdered milk for dusting {or powdered sugar if you prefer}

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease a large square cake pan and set aside {I used a 9″ x 13″ pan, but anything of a similar size would work}
2. Mix all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl {I used a hand mixer}. Add in dry ingredients and mix everything thoroughly. Quickly add in your fold-ins, mix through, and immediately transfer the cake batter into the pan. Smooth out the batter and make sure it is distributed evenly.
3. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted down the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
4. Prior to serving, dust with some powdered non-dairy milk if you like, and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Audrey

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Disclaimer: this post contains an affiliate link for powdered coconut milk and the gluten-free flour blend used.