Cranberry Apple Cake

Cranberries are in season and if you're like me you're probably wondering what all the big deal is. I mean it's a cranberry so what the only use for those things is Ocean Spray or to make a popcorn garland for your house right? Nooo apparently people actually EAT these things!! You know this blog is dedicated to trying all those yummy recipes online and in cookbooks and then reporting the finding, so imagine my surprise when I stumbled across this Cranberry Apple Cake recipe! You know my adventurous palate had to try this and it said it was easy. I'm happy to report that it is an amazingly easy recipe to follow and it's the first time I made a cake from scratch that didn't make me want to cuss and scream. Always a bonus in my kitchen since I'm not much of a baker.

So from my kitchen to yours and without further ado here's the recipe for Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake. I'd like to thank the Barefoot Contessa from Food Network for sharing this with the world :-)

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 57 Minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

12 ounces fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tbsp grated orange zest (2 oranges)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/8 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine Cranberries, apple, brown sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs on medium high speed for 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium, add 1 cup of the granulated sugar, the butter, vanilla, and sour cream and beat just until combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour and salt.

Pour the fruit mixture evenly into a 10 inch glass pie plate. Pour the batter over the fruit, covering it completely. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle it over the batter. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted int the middle of the cake comes out clean and the fruit is bubbling around the edges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wrainbeau's Note:
If you don't have a fancy mixer with a paddle attachment (and I don't) I find that a regular hand mixer will do the trick just as well. The deep dish glass pie plates work best for this recipe as the "cake" batter will rise slightly while cooking. Cool whip or whipped cream work best as a topper for this cake.