I know I’ve sometimes mentioned in my blog that Christmas always sneaks up on me. I’m really not the best planner. I seem to always take care of what I need to the week before Christmas. It’s frenetic and it’s sometimes a little stressful, but I always get things done.
Are you a great holiday planner or more last minute? 
Don’t miss out on what everyone baked this week. Want to join the fun? Hop on over here to Meal Planning Magic and join us.
Cranberry Coffee Cake
slightly adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook
Ingredients
for the filling:
2 cups fresh cranberries
for the cake:
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I used Earth Balance margarine)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray (or grease it).
Pulse cranberries with 3/4 cup of granulated sugar in a food processor until finely chopped (do not puree). Transfer to a sieve and let drain while making batter. 
Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and the remaining 1 cup granulated sugar in the bowl of a mixer for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and orange zest. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternatively in batches, beginning and ending in flour. Mix until just incorporated.
Spread a third of batter evenly in the prepared loaf pan. Spoon half of drained cranberries evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border along sides. Repeat with batter, then cranberries and finish with batter. Sprinkle on the almond.
Bake for an hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool for 30 minutes. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
Happy baking!
xo Lora
Cake Duchess is where you can follow the baking adventures of me! Hi! I'm Lora, a mom of two cuties in South Florida. I got into all this baking mess because of them. 
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh I love everything about this cake! You know how much I love coffee cakes. And the cranberry swirl and the crunchy almond topping is fabulous! Great recipe, Lora!
I’m with An, I loooove everything about it! I swear, I would have to hide one of these just for myself.
Oh my goodness – cranberries! Just bought my first bag, and now I cannot wait to make this cake! Pinned to my cake board.
I love that you used cranberry sauce instead of whole fruits in the cake!
Stunning, Lora! I love that strip of cranberry flowting through the cake!
Wow, these are beautiful loaves! Perfect for the holidays (and gifts!).
These are super pretty with that ribbon of cranberry! The holidays always sneak up on me too. I should really start thinking about what I want to bake and make!
I love the idea of a cranberry coffee cake! It’s so perfect for the season! I’m a planner!
These are gorgeous coffee cakes, Lora! I love the cranberry ribbon!
I’ve got cranberries! Gotta try this.
I love when cranberries are in season. I’m always looking for recipes and this coffee cake looks amazing. So pretty with the cranberries in the middle. Bookmarking…
A cup of tea and a piece of this bread would really finish this week off with a bang. It looks delicious!
Wow…gorgeousness…Could I possibly use frozen cranberries or groseilles in this recipe?..So difficult to obtain fresh cranberries in this part of France!..Beautifully photographed offering, as usual!
I adore cranberry desserts because of the tang of the berries, sadly I’m the only one in the family that does but it doesn’t stop me from baking with them. Great job on the cakes Lora.
Beautiful. Cranberry bread/cake is one of my favorite holiday traditions. And although we still have two months, Christmas always sneaks up on me. I need to get baking (and gift-buying!) Thank you for sharing!
What a fantastic coffee cake recipe! Christmas always sneaks up on me, too, and every year I swear that I’m going to be more organized. Still waiting for that to happen.
A fabulous coffee cake. Really love the cranberry filling.
It’s a beautiful red swirl in the cake. I would love this for Christmas. I am in awe of those who can plan out their Christmas well in advance! I even have time off in december, because I work in an elementary school…it just doesn’t happen!
I love Cranberry, and I love coffee cake. I’m in!
Mini loaves with sliced almonds on top are the perfect little gift. I, too, want to make them every year and never do.. a total last minute planner. Really amazing cakes Lora, and the color is wonderful!
I just love cranberries and grabbed two large bags when I saw them at Costco a week or so ago. I can’t wait to try this.
These look absolutely delicious Lora! Fruits and nuts in such a yummy looking bread, I would love to have a a loaf all to myself!
Beautiful coffee cake, I must try it!
I love that gorgeous swirl of cranberry running through this cake. I love that it worked with frozen cranberries, but truth be told..I’d end up eating that ‘granita’ before I could add it in! lol I’ll have to stick with fresh!. Amazing holiday coffee cakes!
Great idea to plan ahead! Cranberry is the most wonderful fruit and this coffee cake must be so much brighter with the inclusion of it!
What a beautiful cake! and the cranberry makes it healthy too, right?
This looks so delicious!
The coffee cake looks delicious and great for gifts.
I am usually a last minute person but this year I swore to bake cookies in advance, because I got an oven now!!
The cranberries have such a glorious shade! I d love a bite Lora.
I miss Gourmet also…
I have already started planning the holidays around here – I LOVE this time of year!
these look amazing, I love the cranberry middle – bookmarked!
I’m with ya, girl. I am not such a planner and my kids all have birthdays around this time, so it gets very chaotic! Lovely cake, just lovely.
Does the cake take 1 cup of sugar or a fourth of a cup? In reading the directions it says add the remaining sugar.
There seems to be a typo in the recipe. It calls for one cup of sugar with 3/4 cup to be used in the cranberries leaving only 1/4 cup for the batter. Should the recipe call for 1 3/4 cups or 2 cups sugar?
The total sugar is 1 3/4 cup. 1 cup for the batter and 3/4 cup for the cranberries (I used a little less for the batter b/c I like my cakes a little less sweet):)
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