A Delicious Cranberry Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you have to cook cranberries before baking? ›

Nope! While cooking cranberries generally brings out their sweetness (especially if you cook them down with plenty of sugar), they'll be perfectly sweet on their own – and hold up better during baking – if you put them in the batter whole.

You'll probably want to use about 1 cup of fresh cranberries for every 1/2 cup of dried cranberries called for in the recipe. You can also look for recipes calling for fresh blueberries and use cranberries instead. Since they're similar in size, fresh blueberries and cranberries can be substituted one-for-one.

Yes! Fresh cranberries freeze for up to a year and can often be substituted in recipes that call for fresh cranberries. When cooking with frozen cranberries, do not thaw before using.

Rehydrate the fruits: Dried fruits can be quite hard and dry, so it's often a good idea to rehydrate them before adding them to your baked goods. To do this, simply soak the dried fruits in warm water or fruit juice for 15-20 minutes until they are plump and tender.

If cooking your berries into a pie filling, you may need to add additional thickening agents because frozen berries tend to release more liquid than fresh and will lead to a runnier consistency. For best results in your baking, don't defrost the berries before use but instead toss them in flour.

Choose. Although cranberries are almost always prepackaged, look for firm, plump berries with a deep red color. Avoid shriveled or soft berries.

If you are planning on using dried fruits, it may be a good idea to soak them first. Dried fruits can lose up to 75% of their volume during the drying process according to cookinglight.com. Once they are mixed with the other ingredients they will begin to reabsorb the moisture around them.

Yes, Craisins® Sweetened Dried Cranberries work well in baked goods; however, there is a 1/4 cup (60 mL) difference in measurement. If a recipe calls for one cup of fresh cranberries you should use 3/4 cup (175 mL) of Craisins®. Craisins® should not be used in cooked sauces.

Pack cranberries into containers, leaving ½-inch headspace for expansion, or freeze them on a tray and then pack into containers or freezer bags as soon as berries are frozen. Frozen berries are best if used within one year.

* The availability of fresh cranberries is limited because the harvest season is very short. Harvesting begins in September and continues through November, and fresh cranberries may be purchased during that time.

What happens if you cook cranberries too long? ›

If your cranberry sauce is too thick, it's most likely overcooked. When you cook cranberries (or any berries), they burst, releasing pectin—a natural thickener. The key to a perfect consistency is to allow some but not all of the cranberries to split open—something you'll achieve with less time on the stove.

Is it safe to eat cranberries raw? Cranberries are generally considered safe whether they are cooked or raw. However, because of their notoriously bitter, sharp taste, most people prefer not to eat them raw or unsweetened. This bitterness is due to the high tannin content of cranberries.

Add spices- Just a pinch of warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, clove, and nutmeg can add a different level of flavor. Try simmering a cinnamon stick with the cranberries. Add zest- orange zest, lemon, or lime zest are perfect for cranberry sauce. Orange peel and rosemary make excellent garnish!

It's perfectly fine to serve up cranberry sauce — whole berry or jelled — straight out of the can. But in my experience, heating the canned sauce up takes its flavor to the next level. Plus, it becomes a little more aesthetically pleasing.

Using Dried Cranberries Instead of Fresh

Rehydrating dried cranberries is an optional (but recommended) step if you're baking with them, as they won't dry out further during baking and become chewy or hard. Instead, they'll be plump and add moisture to the end product.

Soak Dried Fruits First

If you are planning on using dried fruits, it may be a good idea to soak them first. Dried fruits can lose up to 75% of their volume during the drying process according to cookinglight.com. Once they are mixed with the other ingredients they will begin to reabsorb the moisture around them.

You may notice other recipes use boiling as a method to soften the cranberries before drying them. But, that's completely unnecessary.