Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

This Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake is packed with pecans and fresh cranberries, and it’s topped with a brown sugar streusel. This treat is perfect for holiday brunch!

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Ah, November. Time to pack up the Halloween decorations and pull out the Thanksgiving ones. Also time to stock up on cranberries. I know we’re nearing Christmas now, but today’s recipe involves cranberries. Cranberries are only available for a short period of time each year, so I always grab several bags when they show up (usually in early-mid November).

Cranberries freeze incredibly well, and I always make sure to restock my supply each year. That way I can make homemade cranberry sauce in July if I want to. I’ve never actually done that, but I like knowing that I can. And now that I’ve made this Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake, I like knowing that I can make it any time of the year. This cake is delicious!

Before we jump into the recipe for this coffee cake, let’s chat about cranberries. Did you know that cranberries are native to North America? I know my friends in Australia have a difficult time finding cranberries down there. In fact, nearly ⅔ of the cranberries in the United States come from Wisconsin.

Cranberries are also not really berries. They’re called ‘false berries’ because the fruit grows underneath the flower. Blueberries (and oddly enough pumpkins) are also considered false berries. Fun facts to know and share at your next dinner party!

Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

Have you ever eaten a fresh cranberry straight out of the bag? They’re tart. Like really tart. Like it’d probably be pretty funny to watch someone eat a fresh cranberry. But pair those cranberries with something sweet? Like maybe a coffee cake with a brown sugar streusel on top? Now you’re talking!

Brown Sugar Streusel

You want to take your baked treats from good to great? Add a streusel on top! Seriously. This brown sugar streusel is one of my favorite tricks for baked goods…especially for ones that will be served for breakfast. The simple combination of butter, sugar, flour and spices turns into a magical crispy crumb topping once it bakes!

For this Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake, I not only included a brown sugar crumble topping, but I added a bit of orange zest, too. Cranberries pair really well with oranges, and the zest in this cake was a nice touch. You could even squeeze the orange juice right into the batter if you want even more orange flavor. (Mental note: do that next time I make this cake!)

This coffee cake is perfect for the holiday season! Pull out that favorite winter mug, pour yourself a nice strong cup of coffee and dig into a slice of this Cranberry Coffee Cake. That’s the perfect way to start a chilly December morning.

Baker’s Note: I love coffee cakes. I make them quite often. But here’s the thing: I like to bake coffee cakes in a deep pan. That way you can get a nice, tall slice. I use a 9″ springform pan that is 3″ deep for coffee cakes – it works well. If you don’t have a deep cake pan, I recommend splitting this recipe into two smaller pans. (If you split the batter, watch it closely because it will bake much faster.)

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover coffee cake should be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The streusel will get a bit softer by Day 2, but it’ll still be tasty. Feel free to microwave a slice or toss it in a toaster oven for a minute or two if you prefer. Coffee cakes also freeze well. Just wrap the cake (or individual slices) in plastic wrap and then store them in a ziptop freezer bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before reheating.

If you’re looking for a tasty Christmas coffee cake, then I highly recommend this Cranberry Pecan version. It’s sweet with a hint of tartness thanks to the cranberries. It’s also hard to resist! I hope you enjoy this coffee cake as much as we do here in our house – Happy Baking!

Did you bake this Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake

This Cranberry Pecan Coffee Cake is packed with pecans and fresh cranberries, and it's topped with a brown sugar streusel. This treat is perfect for holiday brunch!

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 421kcal

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Ingredients

Pecan Streusel

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ½ Tbsp orange zest
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter melted

For the Cake

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ Tbsp orange zest
• 1¼ cups sour cream
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 1½ cups fresh cranberries see note

For the Glaze

• ⅔ cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1 Tbsp milk
• ½ tsp orange zest

Instructions

Pecan Streusel

• Using a medium bowl, add flour, pecans, sugar, orange zest, cinnamon and salt; stir until well combined.
• Add butter and stir until well combined. Set mixture aside.

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour (or spray with nonstick cooking spray) a 9”x3” round cake pan. Set pan aside. (See note below.)
• Using a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; stir until well combined. Set mixture aside.
• Using a countertop mixer, cream together the sugar, brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy (~2-3 minutes on medium speed).
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
• Add vanilla, orange zest and sour cream; mix on low speed until well combined.
• Add flour mixture (from above); mix on low until just combined.
• Add pecans and cranberries; mix on low speed until just combined.
• Transfer batter into prepared 9”x3” pan.
• Crumble streusel on top of batter.
• Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. (Tip: Place a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any batter that might try to escape.)
• Tent the top of the cake with a piece of tin foil to prevent the streusel from burning. Continue baking for another 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out mostly clean.
• Place cake on wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

For the Glaze

• Using a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and orange zest until well combined. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake before serving.

Notes

Thawed frozen cranberries can be substituted if fresh cranberries are not available.

It’s important to use a deep cake pan for this cake. (I actually used a 9”x3” springform pan.) If you don’t have a deep pan, then you can split the batter into two smaller pans and reduce the overall baking time.

Looking for more coffee cake recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: