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Cranberry Duff Cake

Cranberry Duff Cake with a sweet and warm glaze makes this an impressive and memorable cranberry dessert recipe!

Fresh cranberries give this light, egg free cake fruity and bright flavors.  Each piece is best served with a warm, delicious cinnamon and vanilla cream sauce drizzled on top!

Piece of cranberry duff cake on a white plate by jar of cream sauce

Easy Cranberry Dessert

Tangy cranberries mixed in the cake are perfectly balanced with a sweet cinnamon, vanilla and cream sauce.   This glazes absolutely MAKES the cake!  Ever since my first taste of this warm cream sauce I can’t stop thinking about it and what else I can serve with it!

A basic cake recipe with cranberries added becomes a special dessert that you’ll want to make over and over again for special occasions or an everyday treat.  I love eating this cranberry cake for brunch along with some Air Fryer Candied Bacon!  Such an unforgettable combination!

Every time I make this recipe I love serving it with other people because it impresses them.  Each bite of this easy cranberry dessert drizzled with the warm glaze exceeds expectations!

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If you are looking for a recipe to make with extra cranberries this dessert is it!  This cake takes about half a bag of cranberries.  Here are a couple of other delicious recipes to make with the other half of the bag Cran-Apple Spice Bars and  Cranberry Jalapeño Salsa.

Some research at Wikipedia determined that a duff recipe is a dessert with fruit folded into the batter and served with a boiled sauce.  Just in case you missed it, the sauce is the best part of this dessert!

I found this treasure in a cookbook that features Iowa farm family’s best recipes!

boiled cream sauce being poured over a piece of cranberry duff on a yellow plaid napkin

Another unique spin on a cake is our Carrot Cake Loaf. Old-fashioned cake recipes are so delicious!

Cranberry Christmas Dessert Recipes

Christmas breakfast is always a special treat in our home.  Since Christmas is such a special celebration even breakfast should be followed with some sweet baked goods!

We love making a nice breakfast casserole like this Egg, Sausage and Brioche Breakfast CasseroleBacon Breakfast Casserole, Everything Bagel & Sausage Casserole or Farmhouse French Toast Casserole.  A brunch casserole is perfectly topped off with a special dessert like this!

The cake and sauce can be popped in the microwave for 10 – 15 seconds to warm them up and enjoy anytime throughout the day.

Another time I like to make this cranberry cake is right after big holidays when cranberries are typically discounted.  Baked goods with fresh fruit are always fun to add to the baking routine.

8 x 8 cranberry duff cake in a light pink anchor hocking baking dish

How to Make Cranberry Duff Cake

  1. Grease an 8-inch baking dish and preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Stir dry cake ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
  3. Add milk, butter and vanilla. Mix well.
  4. Fold in cranberries, pour into dish and bake for 40 minutes.
  5. While the cake is in the oven make the butter sauce.
  6. Combine the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
  7. Lower heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon and simmer for 10 minutes.
  8. Serve the duff cake warm with the sauce on the side. Tastes best warm.  Cake or sauce can be reheated for a short time in the microwave.
 
collage of cranberry dessert cake in baking dish and piece on a plate

Other Easy Dessert Recipe Ideas:

Printable Cranberry Duff Cake Recipe

Piece of cranberry dessert with sweet glaze

Cranberry Duff Cake

Servings 9 people
Author: Jennifer
Cranberry Duff Cake with a sweet and warm glaze makes this an impressive and memorable cranberry dessert recipe!
The light, egg free cake has bright cranberry flavors.  Serve each piece with a warm, delicious cinnamon and vanilla cream sauce drizzled on top!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups raw cranberries
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Butter an 8-inch square baking dish and preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a mixing bowl stir dry cake ingredients together.
  • Add milk, butter and vanilla. Mix well.
  • Fold in cranberries, pour into dish and bake for 40 minutes.

Sauce

  • While the cake is in the oven make the butter sauce.
  • Combine the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
  • Lower heat and stir in vanilla and cinnamon and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Serve the duff cake warm with the sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 508kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 4gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 286mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 2gSugar: 47gVitamin A: 822IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

“Plowing Through Life” is not a dietitian or nutrition professional. Any nutritional information shared is an estimate and can vary greatly depending on specific products are used. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator of your choice.

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2 Comments

  1. This cake is absolutely delicious. I made it for Christmas and the family devoured it. I was wondering how it would work out with no eggs…………..it worked out amazingly. Thanks for a great recipe. I do wonder why it’s called a “Duff cake”.

    1. So glad to hear that you love it! This really is one of my favorite recipes!

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