Simple and classic, this buttery cinnamon cranberry crumb cake is anything but plain! Sour cream ensures a moist, light (not overly dense) breakfast cake, and there’s double the brown sugar cinnamon crumb streusel. Enjoy a thick ribbon of streusel inside and plenty of crumbs on top, both made from the same mixture.
Course: Dessert
Servings: 1 8" cake
Prep time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 40 mins
Cuisine: American
INGREDIENTS
Crumb Topping
2/3 cup (135g) packed dark or light brown sugar
3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Cake
1 and 1/3 cups (166g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk (any kind, dairy or nondairy, is fine)
1 can Sprague Wild Cranberry Sauce
Vanilla Icing (Optional)
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream or milk
TO MAKE
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an 8-inch square pan with lightly greased parchment paper or directly grease the pan.
Make the cinnamon crumb mixture: Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry cutter or two forks (or use a food processor or your hands) until the mixture is in pea-sized crumbs. Some larger crumbs are OK. You’ll have a little over 2 cups of crumb. Refrigerate until step 5.
Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Beat in the sour cream. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula and beat again as needed to combine. Mixture will be lumpy.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and beat on low speed until just combined. Finally, beat in the milk. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be thick. You’ll have about 2 and 1/2 cups of batter.
Carefully spread about half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread cranberry sauce on top. Sprinkle 1 cup (about half) of the crumb mixture evenly on top. Carefully spread the remaining batter on top (every last drop of it!). This can be a little tricky since you’re spreading thick batter on top of crumbs, but do your best. I usually use a spoon or small offset spatula. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly on top.
Bake for around 32–38 minutes or until the cake is baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it is done. Allow cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together. Drizzle over warm cake. Lift the cake from the pan using the overhang parchment paper around the sides and slice into squares. Or, if you didn’t use parchment, slice directly in the pan. Serve cake warm or at room temperature. Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up 1 week.