Cranberry Cake with Warm Vanilla Butter Sauce

I make this Cranberry Cake with Warm Vanilla Butter Sauce every Christmas without fail! It really is one of my favorite cakes. It is SO easy to put together, you really can’t mess it up. The butter sauce is EVERYTHING!! Originally published December 9, 2013.

Eric went to my recipe index yesterday because he wanted to make these Butter Pecans (a Christmas classic around here). He went to the page, hit ctrl+ F, typed in “butter,” and got 32 matches. That’s right, apparently 32 of my recipes have butter in the title.

I have no shame in adding one more today. I could drink this warm vanilla butter sauce straight. (And I would, if I wanted to die by 30.)

This cake is kind of like warm and moist crack cocaine, but a little more homey. I’m kidding. Kind of. If it weren’t so rich, I probably would have thrown down half the cake myself.

My baking addiction has reached an all-time low. You all know that I never clean my house unless people are coming to visit. A few hours before my sister-in-law Jessie arrived a couple weeks ago, I was in my pajamas and halfway through vacuuming the house when all the sudden I was rinsing cranberries and measuring flour instead. It’s like I didn’t even think about it, I blinked, and instead of scrubbing toilets I was sneaking bits of delicious cake batter.

Actually, this kind of sounds like a dream come true.

I was all apologies when Jessie arrived. Sorry, it’s not clean, here have some cake. And some butter sauce. Yes, BUTTER SAUCE. A couple of days later, she was like, “Um, Karen, do you mind if I vacuum a little bit?” What, my cranberry cake didn’t blind you to my dirty floors? It worked on me.

You’ll love this recipe for cranberry cake with warm vanilla butter sauce

Cranberry cake already would have been good, but I’m telling you, this butter sauce is boss. It soaks into the cake and makes it super moist and melt-in-your-mouth. The tart bite of the cranberries balances out the simplicity of the cake. Then the sauce makes it all twirly sunshine stardom.

This would be perfect to serve for dessert on Christmas. Or even, dare I say, for breakfast? (Let’s be real, it’s not like French toast or cinnamon rolls are any healthier. Let go of your prejudice and embrace dessert for breakfast.)

Key ingredients for cranberry cake

• Fresh cranberries are the star of this cake. When baked, the cranberries soften and burst slightly, creating little pockets of jammy goodness throughout the cake. If you can only find frozen, that’s fine. No need to thaw them, just add them straight to the batter.
• Evaporated milk will add richness and moisture to the cake batter, giving the cake a tender, soft crumb without making it heavy.

You know what´s not in this cake? Eggs. Yes, you read that right. This cake doesn´t have any eggs. You gotta trust me on this one. I´ve made it hundreds of times without eggs, and it turns out perfectly every single time.

How to make cranberry cake with warm vanilla butter sauce

Let’s make a cake!

Place the cranberries in a colander, rinse them well, and set them aside to dry (if you’re a cranberry superfan, you can use up to 5 cups, but 4 cups is the sweet spot). 

Use a stand mixer to beat the softened butter with the sugar until smooth and fluffy, then mix in the evaporated milk until fully combined. Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and then add them to the mixer and beat just until incorporated. Fold in the cranberries gently with a wooden spoon.

Grease a standard Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then lightly dust it with a couple of teaspoons of flour, shaking to coat the inside and tapping out the excess so the cake releases easily. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the cake is a deep golden color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (it usually takes closer to 50 minutes in my oven). Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes (set a timer so you don’t forget)then invert it onto a plate or cake stand.

To make the warm vanilla butter sauce, melt some butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and cream, heating until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is hot but not boiling. Remove from heat, let it rest for a minute, then stir in the vanilla. 

How to store and reheat cranberry cake

This cranberry cake keeps beautifully, which is great news because it’s one of those desserts that somehow tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to settle in. The butter sauce soaks into the cake and keeps it extra moist.

How to store leftover cranberry cake with butter sauce

Store leftover cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you’ve already poured sauce over the cake, refrigerate it so the butter sauce stays fresh. If possible, keep extra sauce separate and pour it over slices as you serve so the cake doesn’t get soggy.

How to reheat leftover cranberry cake

This cake is AMAZING slightly warm (honestly, almost better than fresh). To reheat, microwave individual slices for about 15–20 seconds, just until warm. Warm the sauce separately in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring often. Don’t let it boil, just heat until smooth. 

How to freeze cranberry cake

This cake freezes surprisingly well, but the sauce, not so much. Wrap the cooled cake (or individual slices) tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter for a few hours. The sauce doesn’t freeze as well because of the dairy, so make a fresh batch of butter sauce if you can.